Elements of Cinematography: Camera

Film Directing: Shot by Shot by Steven Katz

In traditional film/video production multiple cameras are often used to shoot each scene (see the camera positions A, B, and C in the figure on the right). Actors play the same scene a number of times until the director is satisfied with their performance and also until each scene is recorded using all the camera positions/moves that may be needed.

In editing phase, selected shots are assembled into a scene, scenes into a final piece in a way that the story is told in an effective way.  A large amount of what’s recorded will not be included in the final edited work (not even the deleted scenes on DVDs!)

In 3D computer animation production, you *could* render each shot using multiple cameras and decide how to edit each scene later, but rendering would take a considerable amount of time, i.e. you would waste a lot of time and resources if you render frames without a good plan. 

Before you start animating or even start modeling, while you are in the pre-production stage, think about each scene and shot, and transitions between shots, and make a storyboard. Once you start animating with hardware rendering, you can play your animation sequence over and over in real-time until you are satisfied with your characters’ actions and also until you find the best camera position/move for each shot. 

Before starting rendering full-size frames, do a pencil test by using a smaller frame size (1/2 or 1/4 NTSC) and rendering every other frame. At this point, you can make a 3D animatic by editing the pencil test with the transitions and sounds that you have in mind for the final piece. The main goal of making an animatic is getting timing right. Animatics also help you make the final determinations on which camera position/move to use for each shot. See a sample of animatic for Hunting Inccident. When you are ready to render full size frames, render each shot using only the selected camera. A good planning minimizes the production time and maximizes the amount of fully rendered frames that will be in the final animation.
 
A shot is a continuous view filmed by one camera without interruption. 
A scene is a place or setting where the action takes place.  A scene may consist of one shot or series of shots depicting a continuous event.


The topics in this handout are:

Types of shots: The followings are types of shots commonly used in film, video, and animation.

Static shots: A) scale. One set of shots are identified by their scale or shot sizes. The shot size determines how large the area that’s visible within the frame. Among the following common shot sizes, the distance between the camera and subject varies:

  1. Extreme close-up shot
  2. Close-up shot
  3. Medium shot
  4. Medium wide shot (American shot)
  5. Wide shot (full shot)
  6. Extreme wide shot (long shot)

1. Extreme close-up shot shows only a part of a character's face. It fills the screen with the details of a subject.

2. Close-up shot shows a character's face and shoulders. It is close enough to show subtle facial expressions clearly.

3. Medium shot shows a character's upper-body, arms, and head.

4. Medium wide shot (American shot) shows a character usually cut off across the legs above or below the knees. It is wide enough to show the physical setting in which the action is taking place, yet it is close enough to show facial expression.

5. Wide shot (full shot) shows an entire character from head to toe.

6. Extreme wide shot (long shot) shows a broad view of the surroundings around the character and coveys scale, distance, and geographic location.


The images are from "The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production"
by John Douglass and Glenn Harnden


Notes: Indecisive cut and shock cut
When cutting from a shot to another shot of a different shot size (e.g, from a wide shot to a medium wide shot) while framing the same subject, the difference in image size must be decisive. If the size of the subject does not change sufficiently, you will get the unpleasant effect of an indecisive cut and the audience will perceive it as a mistake or a distraction.

On the other hand, when cutting from a shot to another shot of a significantly different shot size (e.g, from a wide shot to a close-up shot), you will produce a shock effect which is most likely inappropriate. The usual compromise is to have a shot of a shot size that is inbetween the sizes of the two shots (e.g., from a wide shot to a medium shot, and then to a close-up shot).


Static shots: B) Angle. Another set of shots are identified by their camera angles. Changing the camera angle changes the appearance and function of your shot.

Horizontal camera angles. Moving the camera around the subject horizontally while aiming at the subject creates different camera angles below:

  1. Frontal. The frontal angle tends to flatten the three dimensionality of facial features and environments.
  2. Three-quarter front. The three-quarter front angle is more often used than the frontal angle or profile because it shows more depth and volumes.
  3. Profile.
  4. Three-quarter rear.
  5. Rear.


Vertical camera angles. Moving the camera around the subject vertically while aiming at the subject creates different camera angles below:

  1. High angle. The camera is placed above eye level, looking downward. A high angle shot (downshot) can make a character look smaller, younger, weak, confused, or more childlike.
  2. Eye level. Most commonly used.
  3. Low angle. The camera is placed below eye level, looking upward. A low angle shot (upshot) can make a character look bigger, stronger, or nobler. It also gives the impression of height.


high angle


low angle

The images are from "The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production"
by John Douglass and Glenn Harnden

Note: Indecisive cut
When cutting from a shot to another shot with a different camera angle (e.g, from a frontal shot to a three quarter front), framing the same subject, the difference between the two camera angles must be greater than 35 degrees. If the difference is less than 35 degrees, and the appearance of the subject does not change sufficiently, you will get the unpleasant effect of an indecisive cut and the audience will perceive it as a mistake or a distraction.

Static shots: C) Point of view shots. In a point of view (POV) shot, the camera is placed at the eye position of a character. (Birn, 8.2.4 POV Shots, pages 180-1)

Static shots: D) Two shot & over-the-shoulder shot


Two shot


Over the shoulder shot

Dynamic shots. The camera position is often animated in computer animation for no good reason or no reason at all simply because the virtual camera can be moved easily. If you want to animate realistic and effective camera moves to create dynamic shots, study popular types of possible camera moves with a real camera. Try the following:


The image is from "The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Imaging" by Isaac Kerlow.

Dolly vs. Zoom
The difference between dolly and zoom is that when you dolly, you are moving the camera in space, while zoom refers to changing the camera's focal length. When you move the camera, the perspective changes. Objects far from the camera change in relative size at a slower rate than objects which are close to the camera. That is what you see through your human eyes as you walk around, your perspective changes. On the other hand, when you zoom (i.e., when you change the focal length of your camera), your camera does not move and perspective does not change. A technique in which the camera dollies in and zooms out at the same time, or zoom in and dollies out simultaneously is called "Zolly."

180 degree rule
If you are using multiple cameras and plan to edit the different shots in a scene as a seamless sequence, an important rule to keep in mind is to place all the cameras on the same side of a line of action. A line of action is an imaginary line between two characters that are interacting or a path which your subject is traveling along. This rule is called "180 degree rule".

Look at the following camera placements:


If Camera 2 and Camera 3 are used, the audience stays on one side of the line of action. These shots are called
"reverse angle shots".



If Camera 2 and Camera 4 are used, the audience crosses the line of action. It's disorienting and confusing.

The images are from "The Five C's of Cinematography" by Joseph V. Mascelli

When your subject travels, by keeping all the cameras on one side of the line of action, you can keep continuity in moving directions among shots.

Composition Rules: The followings are useful guidelines you can use when composing a shot.
1. Rule of thirds
Rule of thirds divides the frame into thirds both horizontally and vertically. The points where the vertical and horizontal lines cross are aesthetically pleasing spots to place subjects or to have perspective lines converge. It is usually best to avoid placing horizon lines exactly in the middle of a frame, but to place the horizon either above or below center, approximately one-third or two-thirds up the height of the frame.

The images are from "Digital Lighting and Rendering" by Jeremy Birn and "The Art of Technique"

2. Teeter-totter rule
Lighter weight can counterbalance a heavier weight if it is placed farther away from the center of the frame.

3. Avoid tangent
Tangents in composition tend to destroy the depth.


4. Avoid frontal angle
The frontal angle tends to flatten the three dimensionality of facial features and environments. Angling the shot produces more depth and volumes.

Shooting straight against walls produces flat compositions with little sense of depth in frame.

Angling the shot into walls produces receding perspectives and a better sense of depth.

Safe Areas
Text, e.g., the title of your animation, should be kept in the central 80% of the screen, within a guideline called the title safe area (the inner green line in the image below). To make sure that your audience will not miss any important action in your animation, the vital parts of your scene should take place within the central 90% of your frame, a guideline called the action safe area (the outer green line in the image below). Why? It's because what's outside the action safe area is invisible on most TV sets.(See Birn's Page 190.) In Maya, to view the safe areas, in a viewer go to View -> Camera Settings -> Safe Action and Safe Text.

Last updated 9/12/2006