Film Shot Research

Before we decided to film our trailer we did research into various types of shot we could use within our production. We looked at various shots both common and uncommon within the filming of horror films. A classic of the horror genre was invented and made famous by renowned horror direct Alfred Hitchcock, it involves using the setting of a zoom lens to adjust the the angle of view or field of view (FOV) whilst the camera moves (dollies) either towards or away from the subject which keeps the object the same size throughout the frame. This effect creates a perspective distortion for the viewer. This is quite a hard effect to get right within the film as it requires the camera to move slowly and smoothly towards or away from the subject without interruption whilst the zoom automatically set to the opposite direction of the cameras movement. The effect gleaned from this is very effective if done correctly but it requires a lot of effort to make it right and so I think we will stick to more tried and tested shots of film.

A staple shot of most films produced is the establishing shot. This particular shot is used for showing a setting or location to an audience to give an idea of the area that the film is taking place in. These shots are commonplace in every genre of film, from horror to comedy. The basic principle of filming an establishing shot is to set the scene by outlining the link between the important characters/figures and objects. The shots are mostly long shots or in some cases extreme-long shots, which are usually placed at the start of any programme/film. This shot can also be used for indicating the time in which a scene is taking place at. An example of this is taking an exterior shot of a building at night followed by an interior shot, which implies that the scene is taking place at night in that particular building.

Close ups' are another shot frequently used in most types of film, this shot is used for showing a particular person or object of interest to give an audience a clear view/perspective of the character or item.