Film Tips for Dancers

Planning to shoot your project yourself?

Here’s what you should know

The best thing you can do to increase the production value of your shoots, is shot variability. Consider getting Full Coverage every time you shoot.

What is Full Coverage?

This means getting a variety of camera shots, angles and movements for each section of choreography. Variety will allow you to choose the types of shots you’re looking for in the editing process, rather then getting stuck with the limited shots you got during production.

The main shots you should get every time are:

  • Wide Shot

  • Medium Shot

  • Close-Ups

Common Types of Shots

  • Ultra-Wide

    Ultra-Wide

    This shot is sometimes used as an “establishing shot” which introduces the environment that your dancer is moving in. This is often the first shot you’d use in your final video.

  • Wide

    This is your master shot. The camera is typically the center of your formation, but doesn’t have to be. This shot will include all dancers full bodies in frame.

  • Medium

    This shot will capture the piece from the waist up. You may want to do this shot multiple times to capture the piece from the center, and each side.

  • Medium Close-Up

    Medium closeups are typically from the shoulders up. These types of shots are great for showing choreographic details or emotions.

  • Close-Up

    A Close-up will be equivalent to someone’s face. This type of shot is great to make your video feel intimate.

Various Camera angles and movements invoke different feelings from your viewers, and can add even more variability to the shots you’ve already gotten. Get creative and have fun!

Common Types of Angles

  • Eye Level

    The camera is at eye level with the talent. This shot would be considered emotionally neutral, as it’s often the way that humans view the world.

  • High Angle

    The camera is above eye level of the talent. This shot is sometimes used to look down upon a subject in an emotional sense, it can make them look vulnerable.

  • Low Angle

    The camera is lower than eye level, looking up at the talent. This is sometimes also called a “hero shot,” as looking up to someone makes them look strong and powerful.

  • Birds Eye

    The camera is directly above the talent, looking down at them.

  • Dutch Angle

    The camera has been rotated, so the talent is on an angle. The primary use of the dutch angle is to add a feeling of unease or uncertainty to the shot.

Common Types of Camera Movements

  • Static

    The camera has no movement.

  • Dolly

    The camera moves forward to back (or vise versa) or right to left (or vise versa), while the angle of the camera stays the same.

  • Pan

    When you move the camera angle from left to right (or vise versa), while the center axis is still

  • Tilt

    When you move the camera angle from up to down (or vise versa), while fixing the center axis of the camera.

  • Tracking

    This camera shot is when you follow your subject to keep them in the same part of the frame as they’re moving.