Camera height is one of the simplest filmmaking tools, and yet it’s also one of the most powerful. It’s subtle, it doesn’t require complicated gear, and it impacts the viewers subconsciously. Lift the camera up a bit, and the character in frame suddenly looks smaller, more fragile, powerless, or under judgment. Drop the camera down, and they grow, become confident, dangerous, or even mythic. Let’s examine how filmmakers use high and low-angle shots, and what this seemingly simple technique can reveal. Yes, this topic belongs to basic film theory. However, sometimes it’s exciting to revisit the simplest tools and refresh your knowledge of how to use them to enhance your storytelling. Camera height is not only about directing the audience’s gaze – it’s mainly about introducing a subjective perspective. And that’s one of the main ideas we’ll discuss below. Staying at eye level What’s the most common angle you see in the films, if you were to make a statistical analysis? This would be an eye-level shot, set at the most “normal,” neutral, and steady camera height. The one that we hardly notice. The name speaks for itself, but let’s check the definition anyway. Here’s one from our MZed course “Fundamentals of Directing:” Image source: MZed In the course, the filmmaker and educator Kyle Wilamowski offers us an example shot from “True Grit” by the Coen brothers. He emphasizes that by staying at the characters’ eye level, we experience the world as they do. Nothing can distract us from it....
Published By: CineD - Friday, 24 October