1. High angle or low angle shot.

The placement of the camera relative to the subject can affect the viewers' relationship to the subject. Thus, the "high angle shot" (in which the camera is held high and pointed down) can be used to made a subject seem small, powerless, or inferior; and the "low angle shot" (in which the camera is held low and pointed up) tends to made a subject seems large, powerful, superior, or even menacing.

2. Pan left or pan right.

Panning involves swiveling the camcorder around a fixed point, so it is best done using a tripod (though effective pans can be done with the camcorder on any smooth, stable surface). Pans are often used to show a scene that is too wide to be captured effectively on a small screen; in addition, pans can be used to reveal something surprising that is off screen, or to simulate the effect of someone scanning the environment. Except in unusual circumstances, one should pan left or right, not back and forth.

(Note: moving the whole camera from left to right or right to left on a rolling mechanism such as a rolling chair is a truck. You can try this instead if you want.)

3. Tilt up or tilt down.

Like the pan, the tilt involves shooting as you move the camcorder in a controlled way -- in this case, as you change the angle of the camera relative to the ground. Again, a tripod is helpful, but a successful effect can be achieved with an improvised set-up. The tilt is generally used to emphasize the height of something, to surprise the viewer, or to simulate someone looking up or down. Like the pan, it works best if you tilt up or down but not both.

(Note, moving the whole camera up or down is called a pedestal. You can try this instead.)

4. Zoom-in or zoom-out.

Zooming refers to changing the framing of a shot. Almost all camcorders have a "zoom lens" which allows you to move between a "wide angle" view (in which you often can see the whole scene) and a "telephoto" view (in which you generally see a magnified view of one element in a scene). When a shot moves from wide angle to telephoto (zooming in), the effect is to isolate something from its environment and draw attention to it; going from telephoto to wide angle (zooming out) can be used to put something in context. Be careul to zoom in or out, to do it smoothly, and to use this effect only for a specific purpose. Zooming and in and out on the same shot or jerky zooms will tend to make viewers disoriented and nauseous.

(Note: moving the whole camera in or out on a rolling mechanism is called a dolly, and you can try one of these instead.)

5. Long shot.

A long shot is used to set the scene or capture action in a wide area. The best image is achieved if the long shot is done with the lens in wide angle.

6. Close-up.

Since a TV screen is relatively small, it is wise to use as many close-ups as possible when shooting video. A close-up can be captured with the lens in wide angle or telephoto. In wide angle, you will need to get the camcorder very close to the subject; the telephoto function of the lens must be used with a subject that is farther away. (Be aware, however, that when the lens is in telephoto, any camera shake will be magnified, and a tripod should be used. Also, depth of field -- the area of acceptable focus -- is much shallower when the lens is in telephoto, which may be a desirable or undesirable effect.)

7. Jump-cut magic.

In general, programs are planned and edited so that shots which are recorded at different times can be set back to back to create the illusion of continuity. However, the discontinuous "jump-cut" (in which things seem to magically appear or disappear) can be fun to use where appropriate; also, getting this effect to work will help you practice your in-camera editing skill.