Camera Operation

Dolly

(1) The action of moving the whole camera and mount slowly toward or away from the subject (2) A platform with wheels that is used to smoothly move a camera during a shot.

truck shot

camera follows along as subject moves

Continuity

consistency from one shot to the next

When the content of an image is arranged is such a way that it allows the viewer to better understand an image, that concept is know as image ________

context

A camera that can be used in a variety of configurations is a _________ camera

convertible

pan shot

left to right; makes an emphasis on motion

LS

long shot; a shot giving the sense of depth to a scene within the frame

diagonal movement

motivating factor for camera movement

Back Tally

on a camera lets the camera operator know that his or her camera has been chosen to be recorded.

Framing

screen space around subject in relation to the subject's position.

Subject Movement

shooting a moving person

Headroom

the space between the top of the head and the upper screen edge

Symbolism

the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities (camera, graphics, video players)

High angle shot

When camera location is above normal eye-level compared to the subject, makes the subject appear small, weak, inferior, or scared

A ________ lens shows a greater area of the scene than normally seen and makes subjects look unusually distant

Wide-angle

arc

A camera move that moves around the subject in a circle, arc, or horseshoe path.

Prime lens (primary lens)

A fixed coverage, field of view, or focal length.

subjective camera

A hand-held camera technique, in which the camera itself becomes the eye of one cast member. The viewers see the world through the eyes of that character.

Tally Light

A light usually found on the front of the camera and in the viewfinder. The front tally light is to let the talent know that the camera is recording. The back tally light lets the camera operator know when his or her camera has been chosen to be recorded by the director.

Shot Sheet (Shot Card)

A list, created by the director; of each shot needed from each individual camera operator. The shots are listed in order so that the camera operator can move from shot to shot with little direction from the director.

telephoto lens

A narrow-angle lens that is used to give a magnified view of the scene, making it appear closer. The lens magnifies the scene.

tilt

A stationary camera moves up or down along a vertical axis.

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex)

A still camera that shoots video, allowing the photographer to see the image through the lens that will capture the image.

The ______ is the imaginary line along along the direction of action in a scene

Action Line

Focal Length

An optical measurement: the distance between the optical center of the lens and the image sensor, when you are focused at a great distance such as infinity, it is measured in millimeters (mm) or inches

The _____ is the adjustable opening in the lens that allows light into the camera

Aperture/f-stop

An ______ shot moves around the subject in a circle.

Arc

The _____ on a camera lets the camera operator know that his or her camera has been chosen to be recorded

Back Tally

The abbreviation for a close-up shot is ________

CU

Electronic News Gathering (ENG)

Camcorders generally used for newsgathering. Many times, they are the cameras that are equipped with a microphone and camera light and are used to shoot interviews and breaking news.

Cranes, Jibs, Dollies, monopods, and tripods are all types of _________

Camera Supports

CU

Clos-up shot

The _______ is generally framed from the upper chest to just above the head

Close-Up

The goal of ________ is create that attractive or that captures and keeps the audience's attention

Composition

___________ refers to how shots will transition or "edit together" in the final production

Continuity

Camera supports

Cranes, Jibs, Dollies, Monopods, and Tripods

A professional still camera with video capabilities is known as a _______

DSLR

A ______ shot provides a very wide depth of field

Deep Focus

deep focus

Deep focus, or large depth of field, is when everything in the shot is clearly in focus.

_______ is the distance between the nearest and farthest objects in focus

Depth of Field

____________ is often a motivating factor for camera movement

Diagonal movement

A ____________ is a platform with wheels used to smoothly move a camera

Dolly

Tilting the camera to increase the dynamics of a shot is called a _______ shot

Dutch

The abbreviation for an extreme close-up shot is _______

ECU/XCU

_________ cameras are used for non-news productions and can also be used for multi-camera production

EFP (Electronic Field Production)

Electronic Field Production (EFP)

EFP cameras are used for non-news productions such as program inserts, documentaries, magazine features, and commercials. EFPs can also be used for multi-camera production.

Extreme long shot

ELS/XLS

The abbreviation for an extreme long shot ______

ELS/XLS

_________ camcorders are generally used for news gathering and are often equipped with a microphone and camera light

ENG (Electronic News Gathering)

EFP is an abbreviation for ________

Electronic Field Production

ENG is an abbreviation for ________

Electronic News Gathering

The _______ is a detail shot

Extreme Close-up

The ______ shows significant space above and/or below the subject

Extreme Long Shot

An ______ shot is roughly at the level of the average viewing audience and conveys a sense of normalcy

Eye Level

__________ regulates how much light is allowed to pass through the camera lens by varying the size of the hole the light comes through.

F-stop

___________ is the distance between the optical center of the lens and the image sensor at the focal plane.

Focal Length

The person responsible for keeping camera in focus is the _____

Focus Puller

The amount of screen space around a subject in relation to the subject's position in the screen is referred to as ________

Framing

The distance between the top of a subject's head and the top of screen is _________

Headroom

A _______ shot provides a view from above the subject and can make a subject appear inferior

High Angle

The abbreviation for a long shot is ______

LS

The _____ features the entire person from just above and/or below the subject

Long-Shot

A _______ shot provides a view from below the subject and can make the subject appear larger or stronger.

Low Angle

The abbreviation for a medium shot is ______

MS

The _____ cuts the body just below or above the waist

Medium Shot

A ______ gives a viewpoint close to what is seen by the human eye and has very little distortion

Normal lens

A convertible camera that can be placed into difficult locations to provide a unique visual perspective is known as a ______ camera

P.O.V.

Moving the camera to the left or right is a _______

Pan

Pivoting the camera to the left or right is a ______

Pan

A _______ has fixed coverage, field of view, or focal length

Prime Len

eye-level shot

Provide an image that is roughly at the eye level of the talent (in a studio show) or the average viewing audience

A set of instructions that helps a camera operator know how to compose the shots a director wants is a __________

Shot sheet

Wide angle lens

Shows us a greater area of the scene than is normal. The subject looks unusually distant.

When shooting movement __________ is more interesting and takes longer to complete.

Subject movement

The _______ portrays an individual's perception of an event

Subjective camera

_______ is the term used when an image has meaning to viewer

Symbolism

The ________ on the front of a camera lets the talent know that the camera is recording

Tally Light

A ______ lens is a narrow-angle lens that is used to give a magnified view of the scene, making it appear closer.

Telephoto

low angle

The camera films the subject from below. This usually has the effect of making the subject look larger than normal, and therefore strong, powerful, and threatening.

Context (image composition)

The content of the image should allow the viewer to understand the subject better. Compose the shot in such a way that it includes a background, or foreground, that adds additional information or context to the image.

Depth of Field (DOF)

The distance between the nearest and farthest objects in focus.

composition

The goal of composition is to create an image that is attractive or that captures and keeps the audience's attention and effectively communicates the production's message.

Action line/axis of action line/eye line

The imaginary line along the direction of the action in the scene. Cameras should shoot from only one side of this line

Aperture/F-stop

The opening in the lens that lets light into the camera. A setting that regulates how much light is allowed to pass through the camera lens by varying the size of the hole the light comes through.

Focus Puller

The person responsible for keeping the camera in focus using a follow-focus device.

Convertible

The type of camera generally starts out as a camera "head." A variety of attachments can then be added onto the camera head, including different kinds of lenses, viewfinders, and recorders, to suit of specific production requirements.

Normal lens

The type of lens that portrays the scene approximately the same way a human eye might see it.

Point of View (POV) camera

These small, sometimes robotic cameras can be placed in positions that give the audience a unique viewpoint.

Moving the camera up or down is a _______

Tilt

Dutch

Tilting the camera is called a "dutch" or a "canted" shot. This movement increases the dynamics of the shot

A ________ shot is when the camera and mount move sideways (left or right).

Truck