Tools of the Trade 1 : Camera Placement and Angles
Lecture/Demo
- Camera Angles
- Camera Positions
close-ups bring the viewer emotionally closer to the character, as attention is drawn to the emotion in his eyes. Close-ups are used most for lead characters or figures central to the narrative. They do not include any background - if any it is very minimal.
Made famous in the Westerns of Sergio Leone, ECUs completely fill the frame with an important object; notably eyes, which can convey a sense of fear, uncertainty, determination, or whatever emotion the character is experiencing.
Unlike close-ups, medium shots allow the viewer to see what activity the character is undertaking (and perhaps a bit more of the setting).
'Cowboy' or 'Western' Shot
Named for American cowboy pictures, ‘the Cowboy shot’ is a modified Medium Shot that traditionally allowed the frame to include a gun holster.
Two shots (or three, four, etc.) give us a view of two characters, often in a medium shot.
Establishing where your characters are in relation to each other is important for the viewer to keep things straight in their mind without becoming confused.
A long shot not only allows the audience to see your full character and their actions, but also their surroundings, vital to creating the world and how they move through it.
Extreme Long Shot
An extreme long shot places more emphasis on the surroundings than the subject, and is often used to contextualize characters by showing the relationship to their environment, and thus individual details are not as important. It can be used to make a character, or likewise the viewer, feel small or insignificant, or conversely make the subject stand out as something stark and individual.
Establishing Shot
Establishing shots are the most important type of long shot, and craft the world (and genre) your characters live in.
High Angles
Shots taken from high angles, looking down on the subject, subconsciously telegraph to the viewer that the character is not in full control of the situation. They may be in desperate trouble, they may be vulnerable to larger forces, and they may be fighting their way up and out of their circumstances.
Low Angles
Low angles, conversely, make the subject seem more powerful to the viewer. ..Combining this concept with an over-the-shoulder shot really emphasizes the power dynamic in Touch of Evil, where a corrupt figure towers over a helpless character, and by extension, the rest of us.
Bird's Eye (or "Aerial"View)
An aerial view can be used as an establishing shot, or to convey a lot of information to the viewer at once. As it is an extreme high-angle, it also serves to make the viewer feel godlike, or at least voyeuristic, over the people below,
It is also an important tool for creating interesting compositions of playful symmetry, which Wes Anderson does well throughout The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Worm's Eye View
The most extreme low angle shot puts the audience on the ground looking up at the subject, as would a child or small animal. Used often to make characters seem heroic when grappling with choices.
The great thing about animated films, is that they use all of the same techniques as live actions films.
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