Tools of the Trade 1: Film Language, Part 1 : Camera Angles

Lecture/Demo

• Camera Angles


• Camera Positions


• Focus and Depth of Field - part of later lecture on camera lenses

High Angle

Shots taken from a high angle, looking down on the subject, subconsciously telegraph to the view that the character is not in full control of the situation.

Extreme High Angle

In Vertigo, it allows us to feel what Scotty is feeling when he is standing on the stool in Mitch's apartment hoping to overcome his vertigo - fear of heights. He is not in control of the situation.

In Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel it is used to created interesting compositions of  whimsical symmetry.