Birdseye/Crane Shot

Birdseye/crane shot

A birdseye shot refers to a shot looking directly down on the subject. The perspective is very foreshortened, making the subject appear short and squat. This shot can be used to give an overall establishing shot of a scene, or to emphasise the smallness or insignificance of the subjects.

When a scene needs a large area shot, it is a crane shot. A crane shot is taken from a crane or boom which is a huge mechanical arm which carries the camera and cameraman, and can move in virtually any direction; vertically, forward, backwards, transversely or in a combination of the above. The most obvious uses are to view the actors from above or to move up and away from them, a common way of ending a movie.