Camera Angles and Shot Compositions
With the growing popularity of low budget film making and the ease with which people now move from country to country, young film makers are taking their skills across borders and find themselves in need of new vocabulary to help let them communicate their ideas to the locals.
Below we have a list of the camera angles and shots used in the world of cinema. Now, when a French director asks for a shot en Gros plan or a Spanish producer recommends más planos americanos in his production, you'll know what they want...
Shot Compositions
Extreme Close-up
Très Gros Plan/Cadrage Sergio Leone (TGP)
Primerísimo primer plano
Close-up
Gros plan (GP)
Primer plano
Head and Shoulders/Medium Close-up
Plan poitrine/Plan rapproché poitrine (PRP)
Plano medio corto
Waist Shot/Medium Shot
Plan taille/Plan rapproché taille (PRT)
Plano medio
Knee Shot
Plan Américain/Cadrage Américain (PA)
Plano americano
Long Knee Shot
Plan Italien
Full Shot
Cadrage Personnage/Plan Moyen/Plan Demi Ensemble (PDM)
Plano figura/Plano entero
Long Shot
Plan d'ensemble
Plano General
Establishing/Panoramic Shot
Cadrage panoramique
Plano panorámico o gran plano general
Vocabulary
|
|
|
| Close-up | Gros plan (GP) | Primer plano |
| Depth of field | Profondeur de champ | Profundidad de campo |
| Establishing ou Panoramic Shot | Cadrage panoramique | gran plano general |
| Extreme Close-up | Très Gros Plan ou Cadrage Sergio Leone (TGP) | Primerísimo primer plano |
| Extreme Close-up | Cadrage Sergio Leone (TGP) ou Très Gros Plan | Primerísimo primer plano |
| Full Shot | Plan Demi Ensemble (PDM) ou Plan Moyen ou Cadrage Personnage | Plano figura o Plano entero |
| Full Shot | Plan Moyen ou Plan Demi Ensemble (PDM) ou Cadrage Personnage | Plano entero o Plano figura |
| Head and Shoulders Shot or Medium Close-up | Plan poitrine ou Plan rapproché poitrine | Plano medio corto |
| Knee shot | Plan Américain ou Cadrage Américain (PA) | Plano americano |
| Knee shot | Cadrage Américain (PA) ou Plan Américain | Plano americano |
| Long knee shot | Plan Italien | ? |
| Long Shot | Plan d'ensemble | Plano general |
| Medium Close-up or Head and Shoulders | Plan rapproché poitrine ou Plan poitrine | Plano medio corto |
| Medium Shot or Waist Shot | Plan rapproché taille (PRT) ou Plan taille | Plano medio |
| Panoramic Shot | Cadrage panoramique | Plano panorámico o gran plano general |
| Waist Shot or Medium Shot | Plan taille ou Plan rapproché taille (PRT) | Plano medio |