Camera Angles

Camera angles can be seen as vaguely different things to different people but overall refer to the way a shot is composed. The camera angle is mainly seen as the angle of which the camera is relative to the subject/character. The link between both camera and object being photographed is what gives the audience emotional information about the character and also helps in the way the character or object is portrayed in the shot. The more natural and straight angled the shot, the more realistic and natural the scene, but the more extreme the angle, the more symbolic and intense the information.

Here are different examples of a few widely used examples…

Birds eye view – this shows the scene from an overhead shot, almost as if a bird was viewing the scene from above. It is a very unnatural and strange angle and objects viewed from this angle are not always recognisable at first until concentrated on. At times this may be to show that the audience has greater power over the object/characters and to make characters look insignificant

High angle – these often show the object as being vulnerable and weak however are not as extreme as a birds eye view. The scene is shot from a higher level from the object possibly showing them as smaller and less significant.

Low angle – these shots tend to give the object connotations of power and dominance. Low angles tend to give a sense of confusion to the audience and show the object as being dominant than the audience. These increase the height and weight of the object in the shot. The background of a low angle shot often shows the surrounding of the character for example the ceiling of a building or the sky.

Oblique/canted angle – these make the object or person being shot seem obscure. This is where the camera is tilted to suggest imbalance, transition and instability.

Eye level – this is a neutral shot where the camera is positioned at the same level of the object or character. It is often positioned as though a human is watching the scene itself.

• Camera angles are a major tool that can help shape the look and feel of the film. As mentioned before the camera angle marks the specific location at which the camera is placed to take a shot. where the camera is placed in relation to the object effects the way in which the audience perceive the object. A low angle shot would show the object as dominant and powerful and a high angle shot would show the object as weak and vulnerable. Just like this, a natural eye-level shot would have no effect on the audience as it is as if the viewer is present there.