Technical research

http://www.videojug.com/tag/filming-preparation-and-techniques


The Long Shot

The other standard shot of video camerawork is called the "long shot" (or "wide shot"). A long shot is simply a shot that shows all of something: a room, a building, a mountain. Long shots help viewers get a sense of "place." Long shots answer the question of: Where are we? Just about every TV scene starts with a long shot to establish the context of the scene (that's why long shots are sometimes called "establishing shots"). After the long shot, you see mostly close-ups. Verify this by watching TV today. Every scene--whether it is from a game show, talk show, or nighttime drama--starts with a long shot and then transitions to lots of close-ups.





Close-ups


When you shoot people, you want to capture their emotional state. And the only way to do that is to get a shot of the person's face filling up a significant portion of the screen. Professionals call these shots "close-ups." Customarily, a close-up leaves a little bit of room above the person's head (not too much!); and includes the entire face and shoulders down to the armpit.

Why include the shoulders? Because if you eliminate the shoulders, all you have is a floating "disembodied" head. It's psychologically disturbing--that's what early filmmakers discovered. Showing the shoulders implies that the subject actually has a body--even if we don't see it.







Zooming


Yikes! in this example of poor photography, the shooter zooms in and out a lot--following the eye's natural desire to jump around.



Here's the rule: Never zoom. I am not kidding here. Pushing that zoom button while you are recording is like waving a huge banner that says "Amateur!!!." Surprised? Most people are. You probably love zoom buttons.

One caveat. It's OK to use your zoom to FIND a good shot. Just don't zoom WHILE you are recording. A little skeptical of this advice? Watch prime-time TV tonight and count the zooms. You will find none. Hunt-and-peck zooming will give an audience motion sickness.

But how do I show my viewers something new, you ask? The answer is to stop the camera; find the new shot; then start recording again. That's how professionals use their zoom.

The thing of it is, zooming is a very natural thing to do. That's why you have to work extra hard to force yourself to stop. Your eyes naturally dart around the environment--never halting on anything for more than a second or two. To understand this, pay attention to your viewing patterns right now. Are you staring transfixed at a given point--or do your eyes dart around--gathering up dozens of images each minute and assembling a whole in your mind. It's the latter.

And most camcorder users operate their camera AS IF IT WAS THEIR EYE!! They dart all over the scene as their eyes do--and the result is a visual mess. What works for your eyes does NOT work for a camcorder.

from...
http://www.video101course.com/300shotcomp100.html