7 Feb 2012

Camera techniques

I would have gotten this post finished much sooner if I hadn't got completely stuck on http://tvtropes.org for the past 3 or so hours.
Listed are several examples of camera techniques (particularly transitions) and some famous examples:

Match cut:
Definitely an obvious choice and something we will attempt to include in our film opening, the most famous example of which is seemingly more well known than the actual film it comes from, 2001: A Space Odyssey, where a bone tossed up into the air turns into a space station. Tropes describes this as 'a cut which matches an object in the first shot with an object in the second shot. The objects must be similar in size and position within the shot. Can be used to add harmony and continuity to a sudden shift in time or place.' The extent of this transition's popularity is evident by that I saw it used to match a Scotch glass with a 50 pence piece on Law and Order last night. It is also used through fading on home renovation shows to give a 'before and after' effect.

Jump cut:
"An abrupt edit, cutting from one shot to another almost exactly like it". Similar to a Gilligan cut, which is used for comedic effect, rather than used to startle the audience for a scare.

Wipe:
Used to switch scenes in many of the Star Wars films (particularly A New Hope) as though an ongoing and straightfoward story. The scene literally is wiped across by the next, like turning the pages of a book.

Tilt/Pan:
Panning involves any movement of the camera horizontally and tilting vertically. 

Tracking shot: Where the camera moves physically. Orson Welles was the king of this as can be seen here.

Dolly: This is where the camera moves forward or backwards specifically. Named after the actual mover the camera would have to be attached to during the golden age of cinema. We plan to use this combined with a pan to the left in our film opening.

There are trillions of shots and transitions worth looking up about and fantastic examples for each one, but I can only brush the tip of the iceberg.

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