Video Production Techniques

There are multiple types of camera angles when it comes to media. But before anything is done, the production crew has to ensure that they have the essentials down when setting up the camera. Firstly, the battery needs to be fully charged, the card formatted, the white balance at the correct setting, the correct lens focal length, the pixel aspect ratio and the frame rates and the light meter are all set up properly to match the scene being filmed.

Panning – the first type of camera movement in the pan. This is when the camera is when the camera is in a fixed position swivelling a still or video camera horizontally. This motion is similar to person turning their head from left to right. This movement is effective for following a character walking down a street or for a point of view shot.

Tilting- This movement is similar to a pan except it is just portraying a subject by tilting the camera vertically. Tilting is less common than panning because humans associate more with move left and right instead of up and down.

Tracking– this movement is any shot where the camera follows backward, forward or moves alongside the subject that is being recorded. In cinematography, the term refers to a shot in a which the camera is fixed to a camera dolly (which is placed on wheels), this creates a smoother shot.

Contrazoom (Camera and Lens Movement–  this is an unsettling in-camera special effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception. This shot was originally used by Alfred Hitchcock in his film, Vertigo.

Dutch Angle/Canter- this is when the camera is set an angle on its roll so that the framing of the shot has an uneven horizon which creates an unsettling effect for the audience.

Crane/Jib- this shot is done while the camera is fixed onto a crane or jib. This enhances the epic nature of large sets and massive crowds/ large settings in general.

Push and Pull Focus- is a creative camera technique that involves changing the focus of a shot. This can be changing the focus from one subject to another. For example, is there are two people in the shot but only one is in focus, that person is the main subject of attention.

Snorricam– also known as a chest-cam is a camera device that is rigged to the body of the actor which is facing the actor directly. Therefore, when they walk, they do not appear to move but everything around them does.