Careers in Television and Video: Camera Shots and Their Uses

Let us move on to the camera shots themselves. If you seek a career in this field, knowing these shots will be useful whether you are operating a camera or scriptwriting. The shots are the same in both film and television, although names may differ. They also have several purposes, but I have said it before, nothing in this industry is set in stone. Use the shots however way you wish. I will just note their general utilization. They also refer to shots used for scenes with humans in them. Learning the abbreviations of these terms is helpful to know when asked of you by a director or when writing scripts. It is easier to refer to them as abbreviations than to type them out each time. Shots are not required to have the subject facing the camera. These examples are only for reference. All you have to do is indicate in the script, screenplay or storyboard that the shot is from the side view, or any other angle.

The first shot is an Extreme Long Shot, or ELS. The subject, wherever they are in the scene, only takes up a small section of the screen. Often used to establish a character(s) at a given location, or allow room for any epic action to take place. It can also imply solitude in a given scene. Next is a Long Shot, or LS. It is from head to toe and the subject now is more identifiable. There is room for the character to move in action, others may enter the scene, and they can still interact with any pertinent scenery or props. A Medium Long Shot or MLS gives much the same options. Sometimes known as a Knee Shot, and composed from head to knee. Next is a Medium Shot or MS, sometimes called a Waist Shot. Just as the name indicates, it is from waist to head. Good shot for intros, spokespeople, reporters, or hosts, and recognizable portions of the background are still viewable.

The next shot is the most common one in news or interviews, and its actual composition varies upon the director's tastes (most shots often do). It is a Medium Close Up, or MCU. It is somewhere between the person's elbows and shoulders. This still gives enough room to enter any title graphics. An engineer once told me that the purpose of the shot is to bring the subject into the viewer's home as if they were actually there. He explained that most people have at least a 19-inch or bigger television screen, which makes an MCU almost life-sized. It grabs your attention. That is the way he explained it to me anyway. They use so many graphics on the Lower Third (Lwr 1/3) of the screen in current news, weather and sportscasts, that an MCU is composed wider and closer to the elbow these days. Most of us are familiar with a Close Up, or CU. It is from about the shoulders to the head. It is useful for seeing every detail or emotion in the face, and emphasizes importance in a scene. To invoke even more emphasis an Extreme Close Up or ECU is usually for extreme emotion, although I have noticed its use more, and more in sports interviews and music videos. An ECU does not have to be full face. In the script, you can identify it as an ECU of the eye(s), mouth or any part of the body.

Normally, the following camera shots are for transitional purposes. The first is a 2-Shot, simply two people in the scene. The example shown is two people in an MS. The closest you can probably get with this is a MCU, maybe. If three people a 3-Shot, if more a Group Shot. Obviously, the shot will have to zoom back to allow room. An Over the Shoulder Shot or OVS is a transitional shot for including two people in a conversation. Whose back is to the camera, is usually detailed in the script. An Establishing Shot or Estbl Shot is obviously to establish location, and can be in conjunction with other shots for effectiveness. There is a specialty shot called Point of View or POV, but should only be used sparingly. The shot is from the perspective of the character and shows what they see. If used too often or in length, it eventually becomes irritating for the viewer.

In composing your shot, be aware of Viewing or, Speaking Space. You should only center the subject onscreen when they are speaking to the camera, or viewing audience. If they are speaking to someone off-camera, there should be more space on the side of the person they are speaking. You do not have to put your subject all the way to the other side of the screen, maybe about two thirds leaving the shoulders visible, again, at the discretion of your director. By giving your subject speaking space, it indicates to the viewer that your subject is speaking to someone.

Other good things to remember are the terms and meanings of camera movements. The examples give you an idea of what they are. When a director calls out these commands, just remember that the movement will be in an opposite direction. Here is what I mean. Imagine seeing a screen image panning to the left. In actuality, the camera operator is panning to the right. Their hands are anyway. Remember, the lens moves left, not the hands. I wish I had a dollar for the many times I directed my students and said, "Slowly pan to the left. No, your other left." Some of the movements in the example are for setting the camera up before actually shooting the scene. Seldom you will they ask you to perform more than a Zoom, Pan or Tilt live onscreen, unless your experience and skill has been previously demonstrated.

When working talk shows or interviews in multi-camera studios, cameras are re-positioned in a different way. This does not apply to newscasts. Profiles are not desirable in interviews because they look funny and appear un-dimensional, with no visual depth. Cameras positioned at an angle across from their subjects will avoid profiles and provide a 2/3 facial view. This is Cross-Shooting. Also, remember to avoid shadows. You can achieve this by having the subject at least six feet from the background, in a studio at least. This also allows for backlighting, more on this in lighting.

Finally, adjust your camera at Eye Level. This is so that you do not imply sub conscience perspective. I will explain. Depending on the angle, a camera shot can imply things on several levels in our sub conscience. This gets down to the real uses of the previously mentioned shots, because angles also have a lot to do with what you are visually trying to say. The next time you see a televised political convention, notice where the cameras are. A convention is a controlled environment, and cameras televising it must be on the floor or above the stage at a distance, but never at stage level. Why you ask? In our sub conscience, looking up to someone makes us feel that the person has strength, importance, dominance, or power. Looking down on the same person from above gives the impression of weakness, unimportance, submission, or hopelessness. During a convention, the cameras (television viewers) must look up to the speakers. Now does it make sense? In news or interviews, positioning the camera at Eye Level prevents any sub conscience implications. I personally work in education and government television, and knowing this is extremely critical in both cases.

This is a lot to get your head around just operating a camera. It is attainable with experience and skill, and it takes time. So, how do you enter this business and get experience? The best answer is two other questions. What is it that industry employers are looking for in their camera operators? What skills does a camera operator need to know first? In our next installment, we will answer these questions.