Camera Shots and Angles

Camera shots are important part of film as they help tell the story and lets the audience know how characters are feeling as well as being a important part of the overall narrative.
Camera shots:
ECU - Extreme Close Up - intense emotion.
BCU - Big Close Up - emotion.
CU - Close Up - further away.
MCU - Medium Close Up - Head and shoulders.
MS - Medium Shot - conversation.
MLS - Medium Long Shot - charters and environment around them
LS - Long Shot -more of the surroundings
ES - Establishing Shot -  where the film takes place
HA - High Angle Shot - vulnerable
LA - Low Angle Shot -  powerful
BEV - Birds Eye View - Shot from directly above
DA - Dutch Angle - suggest something is not right
EL - Eye Level Shot - Camera is at eye level capturing mainly face and shouldersRA - Reverse Angle Shot - Series of two shots showing what the person is seeing
 There are a wide variety of different camera shots used and I will be focusing on 5 of them.

'I Am Legend'

This is a establishing shot, this type of shot can be at the start of this film or when the location had changed. It  lets the audience know where the film or scene is taking place and the type of environment the characters will be in. This shot show a abandoned New York, you can guess its New York from the landscape and buildings, the lonely city which is usually filled with life gives a good premise of the upcoming film.

'America Psycho'

This is a medium long shot and its show the characters body language and actions rather than emotions. This shot shows Patrick contemplating and toying with idea of nail gunning Jean but we also get to see Jean and how unaware she is. These shots are a good way of seeing what the characters are doing as well as getting in dialogue and showing relations between characters.




'The Dark Knight'

This is a Dutch angle shot and the twisted background helps to show that there is something not quite right or sinister about the character in the foreground. The Jokers appearance is unmissable and when paired with the angled background it gives a menacing feel.

'Finding Nemo'

This image shows a low angle shot, this type of shot give the impression of power and dominance. Here the shot is looking up at the shark, Bruce. Because we are looking up a Bruce it help the audience get a idea of how much bigger he is in comparison to Dory and Marlin and show he is a sinister character. 

'Mean girls' Regina, Gretchen, Karen

This show a medium shot from the film mean girls, this shot allows to capture the general emotion from more than one character at a time. From the shot you can also understand who the main character is from the three girls, although Gretchen is in the middle the audiences eye is drawn to Regina because she is slightly closer to the front and looks angry rather than concerned as the other to do.