Ideas and emotions can be expressed through visual form which share the same grammar.
“Visual Language” helps pictures tell stories.
“SHOT LENGTH” (The length of the camera from the character)
WIDE | TIGHT (FAR | NEAR)
Extreme wide shot [The whole scene from a distance]
Emphasize or establish a place.
Wide shot [The whole object]
Let the action speak for itself.
Medium shot [A partial body (knees or waist up)]
Show off a character.
Explain the relationship between people and tell the stories. (In my perspective, not from the video.)
Two-shot [Above shoulder (when 2 objects in a frame)]
Show closeness or extreme closeness.
Close-up (shot) [Details of face (portrait) | Other details (hands, shoes, guns…)]
For exposition or disorientation.
Show powerful emotion.
Extreme close-up (shot) [Closer than the former one (#_<-)]
Show the inner activities of the characters. (In my perspective, not from the video.)
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“ANGLE” (Vertical angle)
High angle shot [Camera looks down]
Make people seem large and menacing. (Can be very flexible)
Low angle shot [Camera looks up]
Make people seem small or kind of silly stranger. (Can be very flexible)
Dutch angle [Tilted angle of canted angle]
Make everything seem a bit strange. (Can be very flexible)
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FOCUS & LENSES (DEPTH)
Depth of field is different in different picture.
Deep focus & Long depth of field [Focus on everything in the scene.]
Everything is important in the picture.
Shallow focus & Short depth of field [Part of the shot is in focus]
Show an important part of the frame.
Rack focus with short or mid depth of field [Changing the focus to focus an object]
Changing the focus always follow the Sight, wind, or other movement.
Fake shallow focus [Create by a special lens or digital post-production]
Interesting effect.
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MOVEMENT (CAMERA)
Handheld shot [Shakiness in this shot]
Gives more freedom with cameraman but less control. Stabilizer helps stabilize and giving a flowing dreamy effect.
Pan [Spin the camera on the tripod]
Tilt [Vertically up and down]
Zoom [Adjusting the lens from wide to tight quickly or from tight to wide slowly]
Dolly | Tracking shot [Camera moves with the subject, left-right, back-front]
Jib | Crane shot [Camera rise or down]
These lenses can be combined flexibly to achieve interesting effects. There are many tricks to try or create.