Composition and Cameras - Photographic Rendering with V-Ray for SketchUp - page 265

Deciding the shot type
Interestingly though, the first point of the final shot setup that we will tackle here can
in many ways be described as both technical and creative in that both elements have
to be factored into the final decisions that we make. The point in question would be a
consideration regarding the type of shot or shots that we are trying to create. To un-
derstand what I mean by the phrase type of shot , let's make use of SketchUp's Susan
character as our subject matter and look at some very basic examples of the more
frequent or commonly used shot types.
Note
Although V-Ray and SketchUp will most probably be used by CG artists as a tool-
set to create environment and product renders, we are making use of a character
in these definitions due to the visual familiarity with the shot types discussed that
mediums such as film and TV have naturally given us. When making renders of
our own, we will of course have to take the principles highlighted here and then
apply them to the environment or products that are the focus of our shots.
To experiment with your own variations of these shot types, open up the
Shot_Type_Examples.skp scene by navigating to the Exercise Files |
Model_Files | Chapter_08 folder.
The long or wide shot
The idea behind the use of a long or wide shot (often called an establishing shot in
cinematic terms) is to give the viewer a broad overview or picture of the environment
or locations layout and setup. With this shot, we are trying to give the viewer a more
complete sense of the scene as a whole as opposed to only showing them fragmen-
ted and very often randomized sections of it, which places the burden of piecing to-
gether a more complete picture solely on the viewer's imagination.