Camera Angles



Camera Angles

As we know from watching movies, the angle at which a character is shot in a ?lm can dramatically affect how we perceive that character. Film directors often choose to shoot characters using different angles in order to make an authorial comment on the role and importance of that person in the ?lm. There are ?ve basic camera angles used to shoot scenes in a ?lm. The angles are determined by where the camera is placed.

 For the Bird's-Eye View, the camera is placed above the subject, looking down toward the subject and the ground. This kind of shot can seem disorienting because it is rarely the way audiences themselves see the world. Because of this, directors often use the bird's-eye view when they want to make some kind of dramatic comment on a character or scene. In Gilles MacKinnon's Regeneration (1997), an incredible bird's-eye shot of a World War I battle?eld is used to open the movie. The effect of this shot is to suggest the madness of war and the brutality it in?icts on soldiers. (Northey 1996)

The High Angle, looking downwards, tends to draw attention to the importance of the environment or setting for a scene. High angle shots also tend to make characters look small and are often used by directors to symbolically suggest insigni?cance or withering authority. (Northey 1996)

The Eye-Level shot is the most common angle seen in movies. Scenes are shot at roughly the same level as an observer would see the scene. These are not terribly dramatic shots but are used to photograph scenes that explain story development. (Northey 1996)

The Low Angle, looking upwards, has the opposite effect of a high angle shot. It tends to focus attention on the size and signi?cance of a character or object. Often directors will use this kind of shot to symbolically announce the power and authority of one of their characters without literally telling the audience this information. ...