Types of Camera Shot Framing
WORKING WITH SUBJECTS IN THE FRAME
For filmmakers and videographers, a major consideration for framing is the number of subjects you feature in your shots, and their physical relationship to each other and the camera.
What is camera shot framing?
Camera shot framing is the art and science of placing subjects in your shots. Camera shots are all about composition. Rather than pointing the camera at the subject, you need to compose an image.
Based on how you plan to position your subjects, you’ll need to adjust your camerawork. You’ll want to capture your framing details on a shot list well before you arrive on set. That way you have a clear idea for the scene and can communicate your vision with ease.
That’s not to say that things may not change the day of the shoot. But, having a shot list at the ready showcases that the director and DP have done their homework and are well prepared.
This video is a quick rundown of all the types of shot framing, how they work, and when you might consider using them in your next project.Here is a shot list showcasing all the types of shot framing that you can download and use as a reference the next time you sit down to shot list:
Single Shot
When your shot captures one subject it’s known as a single shot:
Single shots can be set and framed in any shot size you like, just as long as there is only one character featured within the frame.
Now, why did I say featured rather than simply in the frame?
The reason is because you can have an over-the-shoulder single, also known as a “dirty single” that technically has more than one person in the frame, but the character in the foreground isn’t featured:
Two Shot or 2-Shot
A two-shot is a camera shot with two characters featured in the frame:Two shots are often really useful for allowing performances to play out in a single take, which can be especially useful for comedy.
Three Shot or 3-Shot
A three-shot features three characters in the frame:Three shots are really important in adventure films, or really any film that has a group of characters, because it is an enormous time drain to shoot 3 singles just to show every character, not to mention jarring.
Over-The-Shoulder Shot (OTS)
Another element of camera shots to consider is the perspective of the shot. An over-the-shoulder shot shows your subject from behind the shoulder of another character. Because it emulates perspective, it’s common in conversation scenes.Over-the-shoulder shots can help to provide orientation, and connect the characters on an emotional level. Here’s our breakdown of the Westworld scene and how OTS shots work so effortlessly.
Over-The-Hip Shot (OTH)
An over-the-hip shot is similar to over-the-shoulder in that the camera is placed with a character’s hip in the foreground, and the focus subject in the plane of acceptable focus.
Here’s an example of an over-the-hip shot from one of the best Steven.You’ll gain a similar effect from an over-the-hip shot as you would an OTS, but if you have one character standing, and the other sitting, kneeling, or any other configuration that places the subjects on “uneven terrain” it will often suggest a power imbalance. This is the benefit of blocking and staging your actors and camera.
Point of View Shot (POV)
Now let’s talk about choosing camera shots that show the point-of-view (or POV) of one of your characters.
A POV shot is a camera shot that shows the viewer exactly what that character sees. This transports the audience into that character, as is done in Being John Malkovich:POV shots can also invoke horror, as seen in one of the best horror movies Halloween:
point of view shot (POV) is generally sandwiched between two other shots, a technique called shot-reverse shot:
- A camera shot of a character looking at something
- Cut to your (POV) point of view camera shot
- A camera shot showing the character’s reaction
A point of view shot shows us exactly what the character sees, and we get to understand what’s generating the character’s reaction..
Blogger-Akash Shinde😍 (Assistant Director)
Student Of Journalism and Mass communication..
Migrant Worker 