Shot Types

The Rule Of 3rd's:

The Rule of Thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in photography. The rule states that the image can be divided into 9 parts by two equally spaced lines horizontally and vertical. The four points formed by the intersections of the lines can be used to align features in the frame. Users of the technique claim that aligning a photograph with the points creates more tension, energy and interest in the photo than simply centering the feature would.


Panning Shot:


Panning is the horizontal movement or rotation of a camera, or the scanning of a subject horizontally on video or a display device. Panning a camera is a motion similar to that of someone shaking their head “no”.


Tracking Shot:

In media picture, a tracking shot (also known as a dolly shot or a trucking shot) is a segment in which the camera is mounted on a wheeled platform that is pushed on rails whilst filming or photographing. Tracking in on a stationary subject is used for emphasis, as is tracing out, and tracking beside a moving subject.
Tracking Shots can include smooth movements forward, backward, along the side of a subject, or on a curve. Trackers with hydraulic arms can also smoothly “boom” or “jib” the camera several feet on a vertical axis. Tracking shots, however, cannot include complex pivoting movements, aerial shots or crane shots.


Dolly Zoom Shot:


The dolly zoom is an unsettling in-camera special affect that appars to undermime normal visual perception in film. The effect is achieved by using a zoom lens to adjust the angle of veiw (aka field of view) while the camera moves towards or away from the subject in such a way as to keep the subject the same size in the frame throughout. In its classic form, the camera is pulled away from a subject whilst the lens zooms in, or vice versa. Thus, during the zoom, the subject stays the same, however the directly noticeable feature being in the background appears to change size relative to the subject.
The effect was first developed by Irmin Roberts, a Paramount second-unit cameraman, and was famously used by Alfred Hitchcock in his film Vertigo.


Pedastel Shot:

A pedastal shot means moving the camera vertically with respect to the subject. This is often referred to as “pedding” the camera up or down.
The term comes from the camera support known as a pedastal. They provide a great deal of flexibility as well as very smooth movement, and have the ability to move the camera in any direction; left, right, up, down.


Tilt Shot:

This means that the camera is in the same position but tilts the angle of veiw up and down. It means that the camera is looking up or down at the subject in the frame, instead of being at the same level, as these are usually more dramatic than straight-angle shots. A downward tilt is usually used to observe a large area or oversee action, creating a kaleidoscope effect, making the subject seem less important. However an upward shot, creates an impression of superiority.

Crab-Movement Shot:

A crabbing shot is basically tracking or dollying, however it is a side-to-side movement at a consant distance from the action or subject. It basically mimicks how a crab would walk along the beach.