Camera work terminology

Camera work terminology 

Birdseye view-A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird

High angle - a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up." High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the correct mood, setting, and effects.

Low angle - a shot from a camera angle positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eye line, looking up. Sometimes, it is even directly below the subject's feet. Psychologically, the effect of the low-angle shot is that it makes the subject look strong and powerful.

Extreme close up -The shot is so tight that only a detail of the subject, such as someone's eyes, can be seen.

Establishing shot- usually the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It is usually a very wide shot or extreme wide shot.

Point of view - short film scene that shows what a character (the subject) is looking at (represented through the camera). 

Camera tilt- Tilting is a cinematographic technique in which the camera stays in a fixed position but rotates up/down in a vertical plane. Tilting the camera results in a motion similar to someone raising or lowering their head to look up or down.

Panning-Panning is a photographic technique that combines a slow shutter speed with camera motion to create a sense of speed around a moving object. It is a way to keep your subject in focus while blurring your background. Panning is typically done on a subject moving horizontally, such as a moving car, or a running dog.

Tracking- A tracking shot is any shot where the camera moves alongside the object(s) it is recording. In cinematography, the term refers to a shot in which the camera is mounted on a camera dolly that is then placed on rails – like a railroad track. The camera is then pushed along the track while the image is being filmed.

close up - a photograph or film image taken at close range and showing the subject on a large scale.