Camera Angles

The
camera angle marks the specific location at which the movie camera or video camera is

placed to take a shot. A scene may be shot from several camera angles simultaneously.[1] This
will give a different experience and sometimes emotion. The different camera angles will
have different effects on the viewer and how they perceive the scene that is shot. There are a
few different routes that a camera operator could take to achieve this effect.
Early example of use of camera angle

Where the camera is placed in relation to the subject can affect the way the viewer perceives
the subject. There are a number of camera angles, such as a high-angle shot, a low-angle shot,
a bird's-eye view and a worm's-eye view. A viewpoint is the apparent distance and angle
from which the camera views and records the subject.[2]
They also include the eye-level camera angle, the over the shoulder shot and the point of
view shot. A high-angle shot (HA) is a shot in which the camera is physically higher than the
subject and is looking down upon the subject. The high angle shot can make the subject look
small or weak or vulnerable while a low-angle shot (LA) is taken from below the subject and
has the power to make the subject look powerful or threatening. A neutral shot or eye-level
(EL) shot has little to no psychological effect on the viewer. This shot is when the camera is
level or looking straight on with the subject.
Low point of view camera angle employing a forced perspective technique

A point of view shot (POV) shows the viewer the image through the subject's eye. Some
POV shots use hand-held cameras to create the illusion that the viewer is seeing through the
subject's eyes.
Bird's eye shot or bird's-eye view[3] shots are taken directly above the scene to establish the
landscape and the actors relationship to it.
Worm's-eye view is a shot that is looking up from the ground, and is meant to give the viewer
the feeling that they are looking up at the character from way below and it is meant to show
the view that a child or a pet would have. When considering the camera angle one must
remember that each shot is its own individual shot and the camera angle should be taken in
context of the scene and film.
A dutch angle, also called a canted angle or even simply the tilted angle, is an angle in which
the camera itself is tilted to the left or the right. The unnatural angle gives the viewer a
feeling that world is out of balance or psychological unrest.
Types of shots[edit]
There are many different types of shots that can be used from these angles. There are extreme
long shots which are extremely far away from the subject and might not even show a person
at all.
Extreme long shots are usually done in a high angle so the viewer can look down upon a
setting or scene. Extreme longs shots are used mainly to open the scene or narrative and show
the viewer the setting. The rest of the shots are most typically done in an eye level or point of
view shot although it is possible to do any shot with any angle. There is the long shot which
shows the subject even though the setting still dominates the picture frame.
Then, there is the medium long shot which makes the subject and the setting have equal
importance and has the two about 50/50 in the frame. Then is the medium shot which
emphasizes the character and is about a knees to waist up type shot. Then the medium close
up is a shot that has the waist to the chest and up. The next closest shot is the close up which
has the shoulders and up or maybe a little tighter on the head.
Finally, there is the extreme close up shot which has one body part usually. This can be an
eye, a hand or anything else. These shots can be used with any of the aforementioned camera
angles.[2]
Production techniques[edit]
During production and post-production, it is necessary to give a unique alphanumeric identity
to each camera angle, labeled as "scenes."[1] For example: "Scene 24C." Camera angle letters
are often pronounced on the set using either the NATO phonetic alphabet or the older police-
style radio alphabet. For example: "Scene 24C" would be pronounced as "Scene 24, Charlie."
Some letters are avoided because they look like letters or numbers when written (for example
an "S" can look like a "5").

Camera Angles

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The

camera angle marks the specific location at which the movie camera or video camera is

Early example of use of camera angle

Low point of view camera angle employing a forced perspective technique

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