Are you making your first movie? Take some time to study the art of cinematography. Shots and angles are handy visual tools that you can use to communicate your message. If you’re new to filmmaking, you may not know how to use those angles to your advantage. There’s a particular art to choosing an angle for your shot. Check out the different camera shots and angles in filmmaking.
Wide Shot or Master Shot
When you’re shooting a scene, start out with a wide shot. It will serve as the backbone for the rest of the angles to which you’ll cut at any given time. For example, if you’re filming a conversation between two people at a coffee shop, the wide shot should show both characters sitting at the booth. Try to frame it symmetrically, giving both characters equal space on the screen. Let the entire scene play out, and don’t cut until the actors deliver all their lines.
When you’re framing this shot, both characters need ample headroom; don’t cut their heads off at the top of the frame. Also, make sure your tripod is level so that the shot will be stable and straight.
Medium Shot
Next, cut to medium shots of your characters. This angle is closer to the characters, framing them from the waist up. Don’t forget to provide ample headroom. Remember: for these setups, you’re framing one character at a time.
Close-Up
A close-up is exactly what it sounds like: a closer shot of the character. You can frame it from the chest up or go for an extreme close-up. In the latter case, the character’s face takes up the entire frame. Use close-ups for dramatic effect. Cut to a close-up whenever a character delivers important information.
Dutch Angle
Sometimes you don’t want symmetry in your shots. In this case, you can use a Dutch angle by turning the camera on its axis to achieve a tilted angle. Dutch angles serve several purposes in filmmaking:
- Add variety to establishing shots
- Convey that something is off, strange, or otherwise not right
These are just a few different shots and angles in filmmaking to get you started. These angles serve as the backbones for almost all types of filmmaking.
