SHOT TYPESTom Smith

Wide shotThis shot shows 9 characters from the show. All the characters are dressed normally except from the one in the middle, who is covered in blood and holding his hands up. All the other characters are looking at him which might suggest he is guilty of a crime such as murder. The way the characters dress could also show some personality, for example most of the guys are dressed pretty normally which suggests that are nothing out of the ordinary and no different to anyone else. One of the girls is dressed up and looks like she`s ready to go out somewhere and wants to make a good impression, dresses to impress. Another one of the girls is wearing something that highlights that she is pregnant, possibly meaning she wants people to know she`s vulnerable and needs protecting.

Mid Shot/Two ShotThis shot two main characters, one with a snake on their arm. The snake could possibly represent some kind of evil where it manipulates the character to do something he should not do, meaning he might be the bad person and sometimes can`t control it or is being forced to do it. The other character has the moon shining brightly behind his head, suggesting some sort good nature and that he is not a bad person, meaning that he could be the hero of the show and the person everyone goes to when in need. The lighting is generally dark, but there is front lighting illuminating the characters, the lighting could represent the mysterious evil behind the character with the snake, where on the surface and in the light he is no different to anyone else but when no one is around or its night it is easier to show his dark side because during the night most people stay inside. This possibly shows that he hides his true self away from others.

Mid ShotThis shot shows one character, possibly main character stood next to a police car and station. This suggests that the character is involved with fighting crime, the fact he is wearing formal clothing hints that he is a detective, the big giveaway to this is that he is standing right next to a police car. He is also the only the character in shot which suggest that he is the main character. The way he is standing and the expression on his face suggest he is a very serious and confident character, being involved with the police those traits are very important, so his life revolves around his work. We can also gather from this shot that he is always ready for some action or the next case to come up as he looks to be eagerly waiting to get called up. This shot also makes him look very big, powerful and dominant, the low angle enforces this. One side of his face is also darker than the other; this could mean that he could also have a dark side to him that gets shown and by making his face darker are revealing he`s not all good.

Mid Shot/Two ShotThis shot shows two characters peering or about to walk through a door. Both characters are wearing long coats and suits, so straight away we gather they are of an upper class and quite serious people. The age also hints they are serious, middle age men of this time period tend to be more serious about everything because they live by certain rules that come with their class.

Master ShotThis master shot shows a character kneeling on a counter with what looks like black smoke following. The master shot is usually another name for an establishing shot, as it covers most of the angles needed to see the characters. In this shot the character looks over dramatic whilst kneeling down, which draws attention to the person and could suggest lots about their personality. It could suggest that they like to be the centre of attention, also the clothing is all black leather which possibly symbolises that they are a villain or have some dark habits. In addition to this, the black smoke trailing gives a sense of the supernatural, as its not a natural occurrence in everyday life its strange to see.

Two Shot/Establishing ShotThis two shot/establishing shot shows two of the main characters from the TV show `Sherlock`. The two shot only ever contains two people in it and can establish the relationship between them, for example Benedict Cumberbatch is standing closer the camera which suggests that out of the two characters he plays a bigger role, as Martin Freeman is further away its obvious that his role is still important but not as important as Benedict Cumberbatch's. From this shot we see that both characters are wearing long, dark coats formally dressed underneath, this suggests that some kind of detective work is involved with these characters. The characters themselves look quite ordinary in terms of how they dress and look, with the setting of London it would be easy for them to blend in as business men so its not obvious to others that they work in crime, also their physical appearance is very ordinary, they look the people you find working in a shop. Everything about this shot is dark and gloomy, the sky, the city in the background and the characters. This possibly gives away the kind if crime they are involved, being too mysterious or too dangerous for normal detectives to work on, so they send the best to solve it; it gives an idea that everything they do has a darker side to it.

Long ShotIn this long shot we see the Doctor dominating the scene, and in a very strange position. We see that the Doctor is pointing at something behind the camera, which suggests that he might always be looking for something no matter where he goes. The clothing he wears is very dark which could suggest that beneath the surface or in the past he has done something or is responsible for a significant event in his life, and the dark clothes he wears is showing that this Doctor is more aware and active about what happened. The age of the character could suggests that he might be more laid back and less active than previous Doctors, where we expected them to be very active and that this one is tired of chasing and running and want things done quickly. The pose also gives the impression that he is a very serious character. The finger pointing leads to suggest that he is also very curious and wants to be the first to point something out. In addition to this, the placement of his left hand behind his back looks like he is warning someone to stay away, suggesting that he is a protector of people, very brave and always the first to investigate; which makes him the hero.

Medium Long ShotThis medium long shot shows two characters celebrating over what might be a wedding or party. The clothing they are wearing makes them appear very formal, but the setting and their actions prove other wise as the street they are in looks quite run down and not an area richer people might live, which suggests they are ordinary people that are simply just dressing up for an event. The way they are standing makes them look like fun people to be around, as they look welcoming and friendly. The man on the right is older and looks happy, suggesting that his age makes him more vulnerable and open to attack but keeps that away by making friends with everyone. The person on the right could also be vulnerable, looking at the way she is leaning on the man maybe she doesn’t like to be alone. Overall this shot conveys everybody to be similar in most aspects, in wealth and in general personality.

Balance/imbalanceBalance is a compositional technique that allows images within a frame to come together so that everything stands out the same, in this photo three parts of it grab attention equally because they are al big focus points for example the wall with the sun dial fits in with the sea because of the size and angle its shown at and also fits in equally with the sky, almost like they are split into thirds. The clouds in the sky give something extra to look at without making it too empty or too much to look at. This photo is more dynamic because the main object, the sun dial is off centre. There are two main techniques to balancing, formal and informal. Formal focuses more on symmetry, where as informal requires more attention because it is less obvious to spot.

Informal Balance

Formal Balance

Rule of ThirdsThe rule of thirds is used to separate a into thirds that are in horizontal and vertical, by using a 3x3 grid. This helps balance the shot by allowing people to get people or objects in certain positions in the frame and using the grid lines as a guideline to where they can go. For example in the two photos the main objects have been positioned on the grid so they are perfectly in the middle of one of the lines. This way the main object doesn’t completely dominate the shot.

Static CompositionStatic composition is when the majority of the lines are horizontal or vertical, because they are seen as calm and soothing. Notice how in this picture the main character in the shot is at the back and perfectly in the top middle of the frame, this adds symmetry to the shot and intensifies it.

Dynamic CompositionOften people will want make the scene more dynamic so will move the camera around, in motions like pan, zoom, tracking, tilting and using a dolly crane to make the scene better. Dynamic composition is also when something in the frame is not balanced out of line, like the diagonal lines in the picture looking out of place because the camera is placed at a high angle and slightly tilted.

Lead SpaceLead space is commonly used when an object or person is moving, it shows that the space in front of the person or object is soon going to be filled. It also allows the viewers to partially see what is happening beyond whatever is in shot, because nobody is interested in what is behind the character so they want to know what might happen in front of them. An example of this would be in football game, were a player passes the ball up field and the shot shows the player and the space in front of him where the ball is going, and who it might be going to.

Off Screen SpaceOff screen space is where a character or characters look or gesture towards something that is not in shot because it is either behind or to the side of the camera. This use of space gives the audience the feeling that what they seeing isn’t the whole picture, it leaves people wanting to know what is happening in that space they cant see, which is why directors use it because it builds tension in the viewers because they fear the unknown and feel as if they are missing out on key moments in the film.

Dolly CraneDolly Cranes offer a wide variety of shot types and angles. They also support different types of cameras, depending on which model crane you have. Each crane has a counter weight, which keeps the camera steady and means that different angles can be explored easily. For example in the picture below we see the camera at a very low angle and hovering just above the surface of the water, this is because the dolly crane allows you to get difficult shots easier with less risk of damaging the camera

Dolly cranes help get to high and low angles quickly, but can also be used to pan around and other steady camera movement.

Zoom/Reverse ZoomThis shot technique is difficult to perfect. This is where the main object or character gets zoomed in on, and the background appears to drop away or zoom out in the opposite direction. In this shot from Jaws, it is done to make the character look isolated and lonely when the shark attacks, by making the character appear lost in the scene. This technique is commonly used when something unexpected happens or when somebody sees something that shocks them.

Steadicam – Hand heldA steady cam that is hand held a more even shot, where you constantly on the same level as the people in shot. This camera allows the cameraman to move around freely while still getting his shots. For example in a football match, you will often get cameramen on the side lines with this equipment because it gives the viewers at home the opportunity to see the action up close and as if you are really there.

They can also be used for close ups, over the shoulder shots, long shots, medium shots and establishing shots. This piece of equipment can be used for a variety of shots.