Camera Shots, Camera Motions, and Object Motion

Plan Your Camera Shots*

Camera and Action Cues Glossary

CAMERA CUE	DEFINITION
Pan Left	Arrows on the top and bottom of the cell pointing left indicate that the camera should move horizontally to the left.
Pan Right	Arrows on the top and bottom of the cell pointing right indicate that the camera should move horizontally to the right.
Zoom In	Four inward pointing arrows signal for the camera to zoom in. Encompassing the whole scene illustrates zooming into the center. The four arrows can be placed in any part of the scene to suggestion zoom on a particular area
Zoom Out	Four outward pointing arrows signal for the camera to zoom out.
Tilt Up	Curved arrows on the side pointing up instruct the camera to be tilted upward in angle.
Tilt Down	Curved arrows on the side pointing down instruct the camera to be tilted downward in angle.
Rotate	Depending upon the direction of the area this symbol denotes which way the camera should rotate.
Miscellaneous	Camera motions typically fall near the edge of the cell while object motion symbols are inside and near a specific object. These are free form arrows and drawings that show the path of a specific item in the frame or its action.

When showing motion in the context of the scene, illustrate the path of the movement. This is especially helpful for illustrating a unique walking style, or the specific path of an object. Below are various ways arrows can directly express the movements of a character or object, as opposed to those of the camera. Change the color of the arrows to make them stand out.

Object and Character Motion

Plan Your Camera Shots*

Camera Shots

Different views and arrangements of objects and characters present depth, balance, and focus in a storyboard. These views, or shots, vary depending on the action and purpose of a cell. Here is a helpful guide to different camera shots that can be achieved in Storyboard That with simple tools like cropping, layering, and positioning.

CAMERA SHOT	DEFINITION
Establishing Shot	This is a cell used solely to convey setting and position in the story. Establishing shots commonly open a film, or transition the plot to a different location.
Full Shot	This is a zoomed in version of the establishing shot, usually showing an important character or object. The setting still occupies a significant portion of the cell, but other content is shown.
Mid Shot	The character or object is the focal point, with very little background.
Close-Up	The camera is zoomed in; the character or object occupies all of the space.
Extreme Close-Up	The shot focuses on the face of a character or a significant detail of an object, excluding everything else. This imparts crucial details or emotions.

The following example shows how these shots can be used, the impact each has on the story, and what it conveys to the viewer. Always consider what information you want to highlight, and how much the viewer should see.

Camera Shots

Plan Your Camera Shots*

Establishing Shot: There is a house. The weather is cloudy and raining.

Full Shot: There is a little girl standing by the door of the house, in the rain.

Mid shot: There is a very unhappy girl standing by the door of the house, in the rain.

Close up: There is a very wet, unhappy girl standing by the door of the house, in the rain.

Extreme close up: There is a very wet, unhappy girl crying. It is raining.

Each shot displays a different level of information. It is important to establish what range of detail you want to convey in a cell.

Shots and Motion

All of these concepts are integrated in effective storyboards. The storyboard below is about a man, Clark, who is picking up his date, Adele, to attend a fancy party.

Cinematic Direction - storyboard elements, visual storyboard