Depth of field is the range of focus in a shot. There are two ranges of this –
A “shallow focus” is when there is a small depth of field and only one part of the image is in focus while the rest is blurry. An example of this is used in the film “Fathers and Daughters”, where it focuses on Katie’s face and her reactions, so the audience is fully focusing on that rather than anything else in the background.
A “deep focus” uses a large depth of field, so the whole of the scene is in focus for the audience. An example of this is used in the film “Ex Machina”, and in this scene we can see other people in the background and what is going on around the humanoid.
A “Crab Left” camera movement means for a handheld camera operator to walk sideways (like a crab). The technique is often used to follow a subject that would otherwise leave the frame such as an actor or vehicle in motion. An example of this is in a behind-the-scenes video of “Grey’s Anatomy) (2006), and is presented in this scene:
“Zooming” in film-making and television production refers to the technique of changing the focal length of a zoom lens (and hence the angle of view) during a shot. An example of this is in the movie “Ratatouille” (2007).
A “Pan Down Shot” is when you rotate a camera on its vertical or horizontal axis in order to keep a moving person or object in view or allow the film to record a panorama. An example of this is used in the film “Psycho” (1960). In the shower scene in this film, the director has used a pan down shot to show Marion’s death.
A Bird’s Eye View is a camera angle used to view an object or a person from above, with the perspective as though the audience were a bird. An example of this is in a scene of the 2017 drama film “To The Bone”, where the main character Eli who suffers from Anorexia, experiences a dream in which it reveals to her how sick she really is and that she needs to accept the help she needs. This is revealed to her by, in the dream, the male protagonist tells her while they are both in a tree, only for Eli to look down and see her naked self on the ground revealing how fatal her disorder has become and what she looks like that she can’t see in real life. This is shown in a bird’s eye view as thought we were Eli looking down at herself.
A canted camera angle is a type of camera shot where the camera is set at an angle on its roll axis so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of the frame. Canted angles are frequently used by film directors such as Tim Burton, and an example of one is used in the film “Edward Scissorhands”. This is used to represent disorientation and drug psychosis.
A high-angle is an angle that looks down on the object/person in order to make them seem vulnerable or powerless. An example of this is used in The Lord of the Rings franchise, specifically the scene where the ring is falling and Frodo is trying to catch it on his finger. This scene shows desperation and hopelessness.
