Technical Instruction | Camera Angles

In filmmaking, you have to be careful to not confuse camera angles and shot types. Shot types are for demonstrating different settings, characters and themes. Camera angles are used to place the audience specifically so that they are able to understand a relationship between characters. Much like shot types, camera angles are extremely important in shaping a meaning in a film.

Camera Angles

Bird's Eye:

-Looks directly downwards on a scene..

-Often used as an establishing angle in combination with an extreme long-shot.

High-Angle:

-Looks downwards on a subject or character.

-Used to make a subject or character look small or vulnerable.

-Used to suggest to the audience a particular perspective of a character.

Eye-Level:

-Places the audience equally in comparison to a character or multiple characters.

-Most commonly used to help the audience feel comfortable with a character/characters.

Low-Angle:

-Looks upwards on a subject or character.

-Used to make a subject or character look powerful.

-Can make the audience feel vulnerable due to looking up at the character.

Dutch-Angle:

-Used to demonstrate the confusion of a character.

-Can disorientate the audience and create a feel of unease.