Thursday 15 December 2011

Cast List for our Thriller "Marked" with Costumes

Teenage boy: James Winterburn
Costume: Plain white top and striped pyjama bottoms. Connotes a laid-back, stereotypical teenage lifestyle.

Boy's Dad: James' Father
Costume: Nightwear to suggest he has been woken up (e.g. housecoat, pyjamas)

Enigmatic figure(s)/suggested murderer(s):

Costume: Enigmatic suit, similar to the suit and hat used in
classic noir thriller "The Third Man". This creates intertextuality and also gives the character(s) a sense of mystery and uncertainty.

Monday 28 November 2011

Image Analysis - "Thelma and Louise" - Ridley Scott (1991)


Location:
The shot is in a car park - this is a generic thriller location. The look of the car park tells us that it is set in the past, not modern day (2011). This is due to the signs in the background.

Lighting:
The lighting in this shot is non-ambient (from a light source outside the shot). The light reflects on one side of the woman with the gun's face, and combined with the expression on her face, it makes her look crazy and dangerous. This gives the feeling that she is the one in control in this shot. In addition, the light reflects off of the gun and makes it stand out in the shot. This makes it the focus of the shot, and forces people to see it and the danger it brings.

Camera Angle:
This is a medium close-up shot. The man suddenly looks vulnerable - his power has been taken away and he now looks weak and cowardly.

Representation of Gender:
The representation of gender in this shot is not stereotypical like in many other films. In this shot the roles have been reversed, and the woman is the one in power (the femme fatale, possibly). The man is the one who is restrained, cornered, and defenceless. This is interesting as seconds before this the man is asserting his power over the other woman in the shot (the one without the gun). The roles and stereotypes have been instantaneously reversed.

Intertextuality:
This shot shows the woman in power - this challenges gender stereotypes. This is like in Quentin Tarantino's films, like "Kill Bill Volume 1 + 2" as the woman is powerful and independently strong.

Thursday 24 November 2011

Essex Boys (2000, directred by Terry Winsor) Opening Analysis

At the start of Essex Boys the title sequence is turned directly into the start of the opening scene where the garage opens. This is done by using a white line of the titles and turning it into the small light from under the garage door. Outside the garage is a light - chiaroscuro lighting - which is a clear point of focus. The chiaroscuro lighting connotes illusion or nightmare - it is foreshadowing the nature of the upcoming events. The dark nature of this first shot immediately tells us that this film is a noir thriller - the dark environment and indications of threat and corruption are shown immediately. This dark feel gives the film intertextuality with the similar dark feel of "Fight Club" and "The Matrix".

The garage is a claustrophobic, enclosed space where there would be little chance of escape. In thrillers things can happen behind closed garage doors-it is a stereotypical thriller location. When the lights in the garage turn on, they reveal webs and filth in the garage. This is like the state of Essex in this film - there is hidden dirt and darkness underneath due to the crime, etc.


Shot of the garage, which is lit by a chiaroscuro light

There is a non-diegetic voiceover from Billy, but unlike Animal Kingdom (which contains a voiceover from "J"), it is from Billy's point of view. As well as this, there is also diegetic sound used for realism. When Billy looks through the windscreen (POV shot), you see Jason Locke. The shot through the windscreen immediately connotes many things about Jason. Seeing his strong figure through the windscreen shows that he is intimidating and threatening. Furthermore, the fact that you see him through a dirty, grimy windscreen (a medium close-up is used) tells us that he has had a dark, criminal history. He has a leather jacket and a "loud" shirt - like in the opening scene of "Kill Bill Volume 1", this tells us about his personality. Like "Bill", who has an expensive watchand a fancy handkerchief (with "Bill" written on it) he is obviously very vain. The lighting in this shot is also focused on him, making him stand out and making him look even more powerful.


The intimidating figure of Jason shot through the grimy windscreen

When Billy is talking, his Essex accent is a cultural signifier. Adding to the dark, grimy mood that has already been shown in the opening seconds, the landscape outside is bleak. In addition, there is an unglamorous feel to the film so far.

When the car, driven by Billy and containing Jason, is travelling through the tunnel there is a clear vanishing point. This gives the feeling that Billy is going through the tunnel and falling off a cliff into a different world or dimension - Jason's criminal world. In addition to this, the tunnel looks like the barrel of a gun, which foreshadows future events in the film and also adds to the sense of travelling into a different, dark, criminal world. Also, the POV shot through the tunnel makes it feel like a confined space where you are trapped and unable to escape from where you are going - into the criminal world. Furthermore, there is a "STOP" and "Stay in Lane" sign at the two sides of the tunnel. This is another symbol that tells you Billy should not be travelling into this new world - the signs are telling him to stop and turn back.


The shot of Billy driving with the connotive bars of light on his windscreen

The lighting on the windscreen here is very effective - there are bars of light scrossing the windscreen like prison bars (another sign of the different life he is going into). Jason's bright, "loud", attention-gaining top in this scene also adds to his vanity.

Monday 21 November 2011

What Made Animal Kingdom a Marketing Success?

Animal Kingdom is a very low budget film - it was made with a budget of fewer than 5 million pounds as opposed to big-budget blockbuster movies like Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides which has a budget of between 150 and 250 million pounds. This means that there is more room for profit, but less room for the development of the film.
The main thing that made Animal Kingdom a marketing success was the use of social networking sites. By posting news and information about Animal Kingdom on Twitter, Facebook, etc. it allowed the makers of this film to directly target people who want to see these films.                                                                    
In addition to this, Animal Kingdom has only been screened in small, independent cinemas - and in only a small handful of them. This is not a disadvantage, however. Mostly, the people who wish to see small, independent films like Animal Kingdom choose to see them beforehand - they have the intent of going to see this film, rather than turning up, seeing that it looks good, and watching it. There will be people who come across it this way, but mostly people will make the personal decision to see the film. The result of this is that people who want to see this film (possibly because of directed marketing online, as aforementioned) will probably go out of their way to travel a further distance to an independent cinema showing the film. This attracts people from a wider area to the cinema - nullifying the possible disadvantage of less cinemas screening the film.


Another very important part of Animal Kingdom's marketing was its focus on the Sundance award it claimed. As a prestigious, famous award among the film industry, this signifies Animal Kingdom as a better film than most. When looking through a list of films, this can really make Animal Kingdom stand out. This award presents a very important marketing tool that Animal Kingdom used well to stand out from the crowd. The fact that it richly deserves the award helps as well.


Finally, the trailer for this film is an often overlooked, brilliant part of the film's marketing. It is a very stylish trailer (personally, one of the best I have ever seen) that effectively gets across the main information about the film. A great choice of music (All You Need Is Love by Air Supply) also assists greatly as it not only improves the quality and entertainment of the trailer, but it makes it memorable. It is so memorable fue to the brilliant use of the music. It comes in after the hard-hitting words "Protection, Manipulation, Morality, Survival, Loyalty" and provides an effective change of pace. The fact that the trailer is so memorable improves the widespread knowledge of the film as people watch the trailer and are interested by it.


Overall, Animal Kingdom was a marketing success because of clever, effective marketing methods that marketed the film brilliantly to the audience that would want to watch it.

The trailer for Animal Kingdom that I mentioned:


Sunday 13 November 2011

Planning for my Thriller Opening - Shot List

Shot 1: Boy is in bed with diegetic sound of birds tweeting - very high angle shot


Shot 2: Hear a loud diegetic gunshot. Boy jerks upwards in bed, birds flutter away (diegetic sound). Heavy breathing. Cuts to medium close-up of boy in bed from front. Head and shoulders shot.


Shot 3: Single static shot of boy getting out of bed and walking into upstairs hallway. Shadow quickly moves at end of hallway without boy seeing.


Shot 4: Over the shoulder shot as boy walks down hallway.


Shot 5: Boy goes into parent's room - bed covers ruffled etc. POV shot opening door etc. sound rises in tension, volume etc. as door opens.


Shot 6: Very high angle shot down stairs as boy walks down them


Shot 7: Low angle shot at bottom of stairs as boy gets to the bottom - match on action - rule of thirds - two thirds stairs, one third hallway with shadow or reflection flicking by.

Shot 8: Point Of View shot of the television buzzing, and the father’s head seemingly watching it.

Shot 9: Close up of father’s head, and boy’s hand, nudging father, reveals fatal wound

Shot 10: Extreme close-up of crest (or mark) on father’s neck

Shot 11: Medium close up of the boy running out of the house and into the street

Shot 12: Over the shoulder shot of enigmatic figure in the boy’s bedroom reloading 1 bullet into a handgun.

Shot 13: Medium close-up of the boy running down the street. He turns round a corner to see a car with it’s headlights on in his way, blinding and blocking him.

Shot 14: Over the shoulder shot of another, similar enigmatic figure in the car.

Shot 15: Another extreme close-up of the mark on the second enigmatic figure’s neck.

Cuts to black, with the title “Marked” and the mark in the background (in a similar place as to where the mark was in the previous shot).

Sunday 6 November 2011

"Witness" Murder Scene Analysis - Peter Weir, 1985

The opening murder scene from "Witness" starts with the Amish boy looking up at an angelic statue. It then cuts to an over-the-shoulder shot of the angel looking down-this gives the feeling that the angels are looking down on him, and watching over him. The costume of the Amish boy is also very important. The Amish look stands out clearly in the station, and isolates him as the minority group. Also his hat looks like a halo above his head. This supports the heavenly theme and makes him look innocent.

The shot in the station that shows only the Amish boy and his Mother (a bad, stereotypical representation of a woman - a single mother who seems quite vulnerable) is a vital shot. The angle at which it is shot makes a vanishing point. The Vanishing point, which leads to the murder location, looks like a hostile environment which should be avoided. This is emphasized by the darker lighting in that area of the shot. Having the Amish Mother and son all on their own adds to the aforementioned feeling of them being a minority group. This makes them look very vulnerable. When the boy goes off to the toilet it shows that the mother is naive - she doesn't realise the treat of sending a little boy to a public toilet as the Amish community is a trusting community that does not usually come under great threat.

When in the toilet, the different camera shots tell us a lot about the characters. There are high low angle shots of the men which makes them look important, and the size of the boy makes him seem very vulnerable. Also, the environment is dank, dark, and claustrophobic-a classic thriller location. There is ambient lighting of the toilet. When the boy goes into the toilet he does not lock the door-again, this shows how trusting he is. The narrow opening also shows us that he can see the man washing himself over the sink. This is reinforced by the point of view shot through the door which shows the man washing himself over the sink. however it also shows that he cannot see everything-he cannot see the black man. The actual murder is mainly shown from the Amish boy's point of view. All of the shots are either close up shots of the head and shoulders of the characters or simple shots e.g. of the boy's hands. The close ups show the importance of the characters and their facial expressions, and the other shots show things that are vital to the scene and it's feel.

When the toilet cubicles are being searched, the shot of the black man's feet and the cubicles banging is a very well-constructed shot. The banging of the cubicles is getting nearer and nearer to the boy, and the tension is built up brilliantly. The close up shots of the boy locking the door are simple and effective as the subtle motion of the boy continues to build up the tension.

When the boy makes his escape from the toilet cubicle, the moment where he drops his hat is very important. As the hat is like a halo, its is like he has lost his innocence because of what he has witnessed. Then, when the murderer - a black man (this is a bad representation of black men - the black man is the enemy, the villain, the bad one) enters the toilet, colour is very important. The colour of his suit is a dirty, muddy brown colour like the toilet he is in, and his red tie signifies blood and violence. Straight after this, he stands up in the toilet in a shape like a crucifix-this shows him as a Christ figure. When he stands up here it is also the first time we see him without his hat (halo)-and innocence.

There is then a great cut to the policeman outside in the station. This scene starts with Harrison Ford, the hero figure, coming out of a light blue-lit doorway. The blue lighting immediately makes us think he is the hero of the film. This is because light blue is a colour associated with good. The light blue also makes us think he is a policeman-again, this is due to the light blue colour being associated with the Police.

Thursday 27 October 2011

Thrillers I Have Seen that Could be Potential Case Studies:

  1. Quantum of Solace/Casino Royale: These films contain elements of both thriller and action adventure films. The fact that they are quite gritty and realistic most of the time means that they do classify as thriller films. They have classic enemies, mystery, dark and gloomy environments, etc.
  2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: A dark, sinister underlying mystery and tension mean that this film is a pure, great thriller. It has all the aspects of a thriller film: dark locations, a mystery, a fitting soundtrack, a femme fatale, etc.
  3. Animal Kingdom: This is a very effective, gritty thriller. It was one of my favourite films of 2011.
  4. Psycho: This noir thriller is one of the best, if not the best, of it's genre. Even now it is more tense and effective than most thrillers.
  5. Spooks: This modern thriller TV series was original and hard-hitting - you were constantly surprised, as it did not worry about killing off major characters.

Sunday 16 October 2011

"Senna" Trailer Analysis

This trailer is very important for marketing the film "Senna". While Formula 1 fans would probably already know about this film and be planning on seeing it (like me), non-F1 fans would need to be persuaded. This trailer does that by focusing a lot on the person as well as the racing (like the film, actually). Also, the trailer manages to quickly tell (the main parts of) the story of Ayrton Senna to everyone, even people who do not know anything about F1. By adding extra things, like some of the controversies, accidents and successes from  Senna's career and life, the trailer gives viewers more reason to see the film than they probably had before they viewed this trailer.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Trailer Analysis



This trailor markets "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" to it's target audience. As the film is mainly targeted towards the European market, the trailer focuses on European aspects of the film, such as the A-list European actors. There is quite a lot of time in the trailer which is devoted to images of the actors, or their names (e.g. Gary Oldman and Tom Hardy). The trailer also mentions the talented European film-maker, Tomas Alfredson. As well as this, the plot has a lot of focus in this trailer. The narrator clearly describes the plot, and a lot of effort is put into making it sound as dramatic as possible, while it is accompanied by suitably dramatic shots that strengthen that focus on the spy/secret agent storyline.

In addition, the sound plays a very important role in this trailer. Tense, dramatic music is used that feels like it is building up to an event. This, along with the aforementioned narration and film clips, really makes the trailer feel like it is building up to a climax. As the trailer does not give you the answer to the mystery (obviously), you want to go and see the film to find out what happens.

Thursday 13 October 2011

How has Working Title adapted to changes in the film industry?

The Biritsh film company Working Title has had to adapt to all the changes in the film industry.

One significant way that Working Title has had to adapt to changes in the film industry is how it packages its films to appeal to the US market. As the US market is attracted to British A-list actors as well as American A-list actors, Working Title is using more famous British actors in its film. An example is one of Working Title’s latest films, Johnny English Reborn. This has Rowan Atkinson in it, a British actor adored by the American market. Also, it is packaged as more of a comedy, and appeals to home viewing. As home viewing (DVDs, Blu-Ray, TV, Pay-per-view) is now much more popular than the cinema (96% of films are watched at home now), this is an important adaptation that Working Title has made.

Furthermore, films like Senna appeal to cultures within the American market. There are many motorsport fans in the US, and so a film about one of the most iconic F1 drivers will sell well.

In addition, by making the film and DVD release of Senna a long time apart, it motivates people who want to see the film to see it at the cinema. As the DVD release was a year on from the release of the film, people who really wanted to see it went to the cinema.

Also, Working Title is having to adapt how it packages its films for the DVD market. A great example of this is Love Actually. There are several about the DVD packaging for this film that make it appeal to the DVD market. The most obvious is the “Christmas present” theme of the packaging. The packaging actually has a graphic of a bow round it, and it also has graphics of snow. This combined with the film being centred on Christmas, means that it becomes the perfect Christmas present. This, as well as the famous British and American actors listed on the front of the DVD’s packaging, makes the DVD’s packaging very effective. It is a great example of how Working Title has adapted to the fact that most films are viewed at home now.

As well as this, Working Title has adapted the way it has directed films to certain markets. An example of this is its recent film “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”. For this film, Working Title marketed the film towards the European market. They did this by using European A-list actors (like Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy), as well as a top class European film-maker (Tomas Alfredson). This, added to the fact that Working Title is a successful European film company, confirms that the film is targeted towards Europe. However, Universal did not fund this film. This is partly due to the European direction of the film. As "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is one of the first big films to be made completely in Europe without any involvement with Hollywood, this means less focus goes onto the Hollywood studios. As Universal Studios is based in Hollywood, this means less focus on them in particular (as they are backers of Working Title). This could be the main reason why Universal did not back this particular Working Title film.

In conclusion, Working Title has had to make some significant adaptations to keep up with the changes in the film industry. The film industry is ever-changing, and that can make it harder for smaller film companies to stay afloat. This is why Working Title has had to work hard to adapt to the changes within the film industry.

Tuesday 11 October 2011

This is the opening scene from "Kill Bill Volume 1" which starts with a diegetic soundbridge to immediately make the audience tense, frightened and thrilled. Because of this, the audience is absorbed by the film straight away. It is a brilliant example of a thriller's opening scene. This is because of effective camera shots like the one that tracks th footsteps of "Bill". It also ends on a great cliffhanger, while also clearly stating the enemy and victim/hero of the scene, and whole film. It also contains excellent acting and an element of fear. The fear comes from the woman's bloody face and her obvious trauma, the sinister man, the dark, gritty feel of the scene and the gunshot at the end. The use of black and white is very effective in this scene. It shows that the scene is a memory or flashback, it makes it look better (as the many colours would look messy and unorganized in full colour), and contributes to the dark, gritty feel of the scene.

Sunday 9 October 2011

Preliminary Task - Evaluation

The final cut of our Preliminary Task:


Planning:
For my planning, I created a list of all the shots we would be doing. This list contained rough storyboards, as well as all the different shot types needed and what would happen in each scene. In addition, we did a proper storyboard - this was basically a more organized version of this. Furthermore, we wrote a script so that we knew what was being said in the scene.

The planning was useful as it meant we knew exactly what we were doing in each scene - we didn't have to improvise, which wouldn't have looked as professional. The only thing we had to change was the script, so that the actual "plot" was better to watch.


The 180 degree rule:
The 180 degree rule is a rule that is very important in film-making. However, it can be easily overlooked. The 180 degree rule is the rule that states that you should always be on the same side (180 degrees) of the action, conversation, etc. This stops the viewer being confused as if the camera kept flipping over from side to side, you would not be able to say what side each thing or person is on. For example, in a game of rugby the camera stays on the same side of the pitch. This is so that the viewer knows which side each team is trying to get to. If the camera kept switching sides, the viewer would be completely confused.

Camera:
Even though I had used camera before this task, I learnt a lot about how to use a camera. One of the main things I learnt were the actual kinds of shot you could use, such as an over the shoulder shot to put you into the film and low and high angle, close up, medium and long shots to change the appearance of the characters. Also, another big thing I learnt were some of the techniques used in film making (e.g. shot-reverse shot and the 180-degree rule). Due to my previous experience, I was pretty confident with using a camera before this task. However, this task has made that confidence grow even more.

I cannot think of many areas in which I did not feel comfortable. I may need to revise the different shots and camera techniques so that I can use them as well as possible.

For the start of the film we used shots to track someone who was moving from the outside of the school to a room inside the school. For this we used still, tracking, panning and over the shoulder shots. We also used a few different distance shots, including medium and close-up shots. These shots were used to give the sense of watching someone move from one place to another, while also creating interest as the camera shots slowly revealed the person moving.

For the conversation, we used still shot-reverse shots while abiding to the 180-degree rule. These were all medium shots. These shots were used to make the people and what they were saying as clear as possible.

Editing:
I have used editing programs many times before. I had not used this particular editing program, but using it was quite simple as the only editing we had to do was simple video effects, such as fading to black at the end of the film, and basic cut/delete operations.We did find a slight problem trying to capture the footage from the camera, but that was a technical issue that I managed to solve through trying many different ways of importing the footage from the camera.

Overall, I am very confident with using the editing program. Most of it is similar to other editing programs I have used, so I am familiar with it. On the other hand, I would possibly struggle if I was told to do very complicated editing effects with the software.

Sunday 25 September 2011

Media Studies Questionnaire
Name: William Robinson
GCSE Results:
Art: D Physics: A Biology: B Chemistry: A Graphics: A IT: A* English: B English Literature: B Maths: B RPSE: A
Hobbies: Go-Karting, seeing my friends, gaming
Print Media:
Sports pages, mainly F1/motorsport
Official Nintendo Magazine: I enjoy gaming, and I am a big Nintendo fan, so I get a magazine concerning both.
F1 Racing/Autosport: I’m a motorsport (mainly F1) fan so these magazines are good for me.
Radio Times: For TV schedules, reviews and news.
Radio: I passively listen to my parent’s radio.
Music Industry:
Pop/rock is my favourite type of music.
I use the online music player Spotify, and CDs.
I think that illegal downloading is wrong. The people who put the effort into making the music and products should get the money and rewards they deserve.
I like things such as montages and wish to create them in the future.
Video Games:
I am a big fan of the Japanese games company Nintendo, and I collect/play their games, consoles and merchandise. I also use an Xbox 360. However, I mainly use Nintendo consoles like the 3DS and Wii. I also took part in the national competition Britain’s Best Nintendo Gamer and won the Norfolk qualifier in Norwich. This put me through to the top 16 for the big final in Norwich, which was a big event. I came top 8, and won over 500 pounds worth of games and consoles, including a 3DS for free 2 days before release!
I do not think they have a negative effect, on the whole. I think this is assumed by people who do not play them, or know nothing about them. It is definitely prejudice, as they are overly negative about them.


New Technology:
I think new technology lets you see more of the world because of the easier access to videos, pictures etc. It makes people more culturally aware.
New technologies such as social nertworking sites are vastly improving communication. People say they can be bad things due to groomers, etc. but mainly they are a great way to stay in touch.
Smart phones, etc. are a brilliant, easy way of accessing media texts quickly, and on the move. This is great, as it doesn’t limit media to the house or cinema.
Editing software, High-Tec cameras, powerful computers etc have great tools for creating your own home-made media texts nowadays, which is allowing people to use their talents more easily.
TV:
Dave, E4, BBC and ITV.
These channels have unique, high-quality dramas – this is my favourite genre of TV show.
Drama / Comedy-Drama is my favourite type of TV show due to the absorbing plots, exciting action, and likable characters. Good dramas are unmissable.
My 5 unforgettable TV shows:
London Bombings: When I was told about this I thought it was a joke to get me off the TV! The shock was huge, especially as it as close to home.
FRIENDS: The Last One: A brilliant, fitting ending to one of the most revolutionary, popular, and brilliant shows ever.
F1 – Brazil 2007 AND 2008.
These two season finales were some of the best TV I’ve ever seen – it’s like someone has written a script! The first one completed an amazing end-of-season charge from my favourite driver to take the World Championship.
In 2008, the winner of the championship was in doubt until the line-the championship was decided on the last corner of the last race of the season! Brilliant.
Feature Film:
My favourite genre is Action/adventure, for mainly the same reasons as why I like TV Drama: the stories, action and drama.


My Favourite films:
Inception: The action scenes are some of the best in the whole of cinema. This combined with some breathtaking special effects and great acting ends in a brilliant film.
Battle Los Angeles: The fight scenes in this film are some of the most fast-paced, action-packed and epic I’ve seen. The film also has the tension and good cast to back this up.
I like to either watch films on my own at home (on TV/DVD) or in the cinema with friends.
My favourite place to go to the cinema is Vue. The seats are comfortable, and the quality in general is good. It is also in an easily accessible area.
How I like to watch film depends on how I’m watching it.  If I’m on my own at home, I like to relax on my own while watching film. If I’m at the cinema, I like to be in a group with my friends so that I have someone to share the evening with.
Am I a Media Producer?
I do produce YouTube videos, such as gaming commentaries. This is when I play a game while giving advice and generally talking about stuff. I have also assisted friends in media productions.
Conclusion:
The only show I can remember that has offended me recently is The X Factor. They provoke people into anger, violence or sadness on purpose, just to try and make the show more popular. It really angers me.
My favourite show is the sci-fi drama Primeval. It is my favourite show because of the lovable characters, absorbing storylines, thrilling action scenes, and amazing special effects (for the creatures)
I can’t think of one.
If I was making a show, I would have it on TV as it has a huge audience. I would produce a show telling people that they have very good lives and that they are lucky to live in such a safe, free country. I would explain how they complain over trivial things and that they should have a bigger view of the world and how lucky they are.
I am taking Media Studies because I want to go into a career concerning Graphic Design and/or Media.

This is an extreme close up shot.  This is used for effect, for example in Psycho when the camera zooms in on the eyeball.

This is a low angle shot. This type of shot is used to create a sense of insignificance or vulnerability.
This is a high angle shot. This type of shot is used when you are trying to make something look powerful or dominant. For example, someone lying helpless on the floor as the look up at someone powerful striding towards them.


This is an over the shoulder shot. This shot is used to make it seem like you are walking with that person, not just watching it happen.


This is a long shot. This is for making things look far away and distant. The shot creates a sense of distance. 

This is a tilt shot. This is used when you are trying to create a sense of dizzyness, illness, fatigue etc. For example, if someone is tired and falling asleep, you would use this kind of shot as they fall asleep.

This is a close up shot. This is for focusing on a particular character or object and showing them in detail.For example, if a dramatic event occurs, you would use this kind of shot to focus on the main character and their reaction.

This is a medium close up shot. This is for focusing on one thing while they are talking or doing something. For example, in a conversation this would be used commonly to switch from character to character as they talk.
This is a panning shot. This is used to focus on one thing, before zooming out to reveal their surroundings or the location they're in. This is used commonly for effect. For example, when a hiker reaches the top of a mountain, the camera can zoom out to reveal the amazing view.


This is a tracking shot. This is used when following one particular thing (e.g. a person). For example, in a cycling race, this would be used to track each cyclist.


This is a point of view shot. This is used when trying to make it look like you are viewing it through the eyes of the character.