16 June 2025
Summary:
Speak in Shots, Not Just Words
Shots are like words in a visual language. Static, pan, tilt, slide or push – each one changes how your story feels. Mastering them is the first step to making your video clear, dynamic, and unforgettable.
The Grammar of Visual Language
When writing an article or a book, we don’t write everything in one go. We break it up. Sentence by sentence. Full stop. New sentence. Comma, another clause, and another full stop. Otherwise, we end up with a stream of consciousness. Like certain fragments of James Joyce’s Ulysses. No commas, no full stops, no punctuation at all.
It’s the same with video – we build a story shot by shot. Each shot is like a sentence in a book. One long, another medium, a third one very short. Different lengths, different structures, punctuation marks. Sometimes a question, an exclamation, a colon, a semicolon. The same goes for video.
This is the grammar of video. That’s why we learn different types of shots – to keep the viewer engaged. That’s why we study angles and sizes. This language is called shot types. Add to that: head room, looking room, the rule of thirds. And composition, background, colour, light… and so much more. Now we focus on shot types – the basics first, and the advanced in the next article.
The art of asking questions
Cinematic mode – Hollywood in your pocket
Static shot in Mobile Journalism
One shot = one message.

A New Era of Filmmaking
Not so long ago, if you wanted a proper push-in or tilt, you needed a heavy camera on a tripod. Today? A smartphone, your hand, and a bit of knowledge will do. And that’s exactly what we teach in DBMoJo. Because it’s not the camera that makes the film – it’s the creator.
We now hold professional filmmaking tools in our pockets. But we need to learn the rules.
Different shot types mean different ways of capturing people, places, details, and action: static, moving, spinning, zooming in or out… Known for decades in cinema and TV. Today, available to anyone with a phone. That’s why mobile journalism is booming. Filmmaking tools are smaller, more portable, more powerful.
Who imagined a tiny phone memory card with 1 TB capacity just a few years ago? Shooting 4K video on a phone? Unthinkable back then. Some TV stations still broadcast in SD today – not even Full HD, let alone 4K. And Cinematic Mode? We used to need expensive lenses for that. Now, AI and modern tech let us do more with less. And optical stabilisation? It wasn’t always as smooth as it is on current iPhones. Shaky footage used to haunt mobile filmmakers.
In this article, we focus on basic shots. In the next one – we’ll go deeper. But for now, here’s the big picture:
📍 Basic shot types: Static, Pan, Tilt, Zoom, Boom, Slide, Diagonal, Push in, Pull out, Dutch
📍 Advanced shot types: Gimbal, Following, Rotation, Pulling Focus, Cinematic, STO (Shooting Through Objects), Mixing
Want to learn? We’ll teach you! – Don Bosco Mobile Journalism – DBMoJo.
Master mobile video editing

No story without variety.
Vertical or Horizontal?
Before you hit „Record”, decide: vertical or horizontal? Why choose one over the other? It depends on the platform where your video will be shown.
Years ago, nobody filmed vertically. It was a rookie mistake. Everything was shot horizontally. Why? Because that’s how we’re built. That’s how nature works. Our eyes are set side by side on our face, not one above the other. If our eyes were vertical, cinema and television might have evolved differently. But nature is horizontal.
Back then, 4:3 was the king. Later we moved to 16:9 – even wider.
So why is vertical so popular now? Because of smartphones. It’s easier to hold a phone vertically. That’s the real reason why vertical video took over. Even though it’s not the most natural format for storytelling. Our phones are shaped like 9:16 rectangles – hence, the rise of vertical content.

🔹 Horizontal (16:9)
• Best for: YouTube videos, TV, presentations, documentaries
• YouTube standard – vlogs, tutorials, educational content
• Television and livestreams – news, events
• PowerPoint / Google Slides presentations
• Webinars and online courses
• School / academic projects
🔹 Vertical (9:16)
• Best for: mobile-first content, social media, quick stories
• Instagram Reels
• Instagram Stories
• TikTok
• Facebook Stories
• YouTube Shorts
• Snapchat
• Mobile livestreams
🔹 Square (1:1)
• Best for: social media posts with image/video, platform-neutral
• Instagram Feed (classic posts)
• Facebook Feed
• LinkedIn
• WhatsApp Video
• Educational infographics
🔹 Other formats and ratios
• 4:5 – Instagram feed (slightly vertical), more screen space than 1:1
• 2:3 – classic photo ratio (e.g. portrait photography)
• 2.35:1 (cinematic widescreen) – trailers, narrative film
Careful though – these formats keep changing. In a few months, this list might be outdated. The truth is: you can’t make one video for all platforms anymore. You have to tailor your format to your channel.
At DBMoJo workshops, we start with horizontal shots – they’re easier to compose. Then we move on to vertical – because that’s where the young audience lives.
Shots shape the story.
Basic Shot Types
🎯 STATIC – a shot that says nothing… and everything
A shot where the camera doesn’t move an inch – like a frozen frame. A static shot can be powerful, like the silence before a race – but only if it’s intentional. Still doesn’t mean boring. Here, everything is built on composition.
🎯 PAN – cinematic glance to the side
A smooth turn of the camera left or right – like turning your head. PAN reveals space, introduces context. But beware: without purpose, it becomes meaningless. Left to right? Feels natural. Right to left? A bit more intriguing.
🎯 TILT – like looking up or down without moving your feet
TILT is a vertical motion, up or down – like nodding your head. Great for revealing something step by step: from shoes to face, floor to sky. PAN’s cousin, just vertical. Calm, fluid, story-driven.
🎯 ZOOM – getting closer, from a distance
ZOOM IN and ZOOM OUT are optical close-ups without moving the camera. On a smartphone? Hard to do without losing quality. In MoJo, it’s often better to move closer than to stretch pixels.
🎯 BOOM UP/DOWN – like an elevator ride
BOOM is vertical motion – not rotating, just lifting or lowering. Like your phone riding a mini elevator. Great for revealing a subject, a detail… or rising emotion. Just don’t confuse it with a TILT.
🎯 SLIDE LEFT/RIGHT – like gliding on rails
A horizontal move to the left or right – like your camera’s on invisible tracks. Like BOOM, but sideways. Perfect for revealing scenes, uncovering elements, or following your subject. Smooth and elegant – as long as your hand stays steady.
🎯 DIAGONAL MOVE – like climbing or descending sideways
Not straight up. Not just sideways. But both – a gentle diagonal move. Like walking up or down stairs at an angle. This shot adds rhythm, mood, and depth by breaking the straight lines.
🎯 PUSH IN – zoom with your feet
Moving the camera closer to the subject is more than a technique – it’s an invitation. PUSH IN builds emotion, intimacy, tension. But only if you know where you’re going.
🎯 PULL OUT – taking a step back
You slowly step back, giving space to the scene. PULL OUT is perfect for endings, reflection, or revealing context. One move, and the story widens.
🎯 DUTCH ANGLE – as if gravity got confused
Instead of keeping the horizon straight, the camera is tilted to one side – on purpose. This creates a sense of unease, tension, or psychological imbalance. It’s used in thrillers, action scenes, or moments when the world feels off-centre.

Know the shot. Then break the rules.
Final Note
Imagine a text without full stops, commas, paragraphs. Chaos. A stream of consciousness. That’s what a film without proper shots looks like. Confusing, endless, dull. The viewer disconnects. No rhythm. No logic. No visual punctuation.
And that already brings us close to editing – but that’s another story.
The truth is: even a master editor can’t make magic without the right shots. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
So let’s learn the language of shots. Try them. Practise. Share. Watch how viewers respond. Video needs rhythm. It needs storytelling. Visuals have their own grammar.

In part two, we’ll look at advanced shot types: Gimbal, Following, Rotation, Pulling Focus, Cinematic, STO (Shooting Through Objects), Mixing.
Watch our video with shot type examples.
#DBMoJo #ShotTypes #MobileJournalism #DigitalMissionaries #ShapingTomorrow
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Read more on our blog:
Pulling focus – storytelling trick
Rule of thirds – rule of birds
The leader – vision, communication and motivation