CAMERA ANGLES Presentation by : Santosh Vaitla

Camera – Shots Vs Angles It is important that you do not confuse camera angles and camera shots. Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of setting, themes and characters. Camera angles are used to position the viewers so that they can understand the relationships between the characters.

Five Essential Categories Bird’s eye angle High angle Eye level angle Low angle Dutch angle

Bird’s eye angle An angle that looks directly down upon a scene. The bird’s eye places the viewer in the role of an all-seeing supreme being, looking down on the action from a superior position. Very useful in sports and documentaries.

High Angle Camera angle that looks down upon a subject. These angles are often used to demonstrate to the audience a perspective of a particular character. A character shot with a high angle will look vulnerable or small.

Eye Level Angle An eye-level angle puts the audience on an equal footing with the characters. This is the most commonly used angle in most films as it allows the viewers to feel comfortable with the characters.

Low Angle A camera angle that looks up at a character. This is the opposite of a high angle and makes a character look more powerful. This can make the audience feel vulnerable and small by looking up at the character.

Dutch Angle A Dutch angle is used to demonstrate the confusion of a character. Also called as Oblique angle. The camera is tilted or even inverted. These angles may convey a sense of chaos or anxiety in a scene.

Tutorial Showing different camera angles in maya 3D

Conclusion These Camera angles are very important for shaping meaning in film as well as in other visual texts. Angles dictate powerful meanings of how the audience observes the subject.

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