Talking head shot
Talking Head Shot or Talking Head is the name of a camera setting in which only the head and part of the upper body of a person are shown. It corresponds to the close-up . This is used in the presentation of facts in news and sports programs as well as documentaries and in commercials. It gives the text a certain authority. The person sits or stands about 3–4 meters in front of the camera and looks directly into the lens or next to it. This usually happens in front of a scenic-speaking background, e.g. B. a wall of books for humanities scholars, archive shelves for historians, a nature disaster for news journalists, etc., or a neutralized area. In documentations, the person then speaks reflectively about the events shown. The exact distance of the camera from the speaker has an effect on the reception of the audience. It has been shown that, for example, in political debates, the closer the camera is, the more the viewers like what a politician says. However, excessive use of this camera setting seems boring and leaves many viewers to switch.
literature
- Joe Nicholas, John Price: Advanced Studies in Media , 125, Nelson Thomes 1998
 - Vincent Campbell: Science, Entertainment and Television Documentary , 171, Springer 2016
 - Frank Biocca: Television and Political Advertising: Volume Ii: Signs, Codes, and Images page 31, Routledge 2014
 
Web links
- Definition of talking head (English)
 - Talking Head (English)
 - Straight to Camera Talking Head ”versus“ Documentary Style Interview (English)
 - Talking Head - Dictionary of Film Terms
 - Do not be afraid of the talking head interview - Do not overuse it (English)
 
Individual evidence
- ↑ Talking Heads quizlet.com , accessed October 30, 2019