camera distances and angles summer 14

Camera Camera Distances and Distances and AnglesAngles

Camera Distance

The human body is the measure of subject-camera distance.

What matters: The expressive results of (apparent) camera distance on screen.

Extreme Long Shot (environment dominates)

Extreme Long Shot

Long Shot (figure can be seen in context)

Long shot

Medium Long Shot (knees to head)

Medium long shot / Three shot

Medium Shot (waist to head)

Medium shot / Two shot

Medium shot / Single

Medium Close-up (shoulders and head)

Medium close-up

Close-up

Close-up

Extreme Close-up (isolates a small detail)

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Camera Angle and Height

The Great Train Robbery, 1903

Eye-level shot = normal

Sherlock Jr., 1924

Sherlock Jr., 1924

The camera angle remains at eye-level when the characters are sitting.

The Shawshank Redemption, 1994

Angled shots = abnormal way of seeing?

Viewers identify with the point of view of the camera.

Force of Evil, 1948

Eye Level

A camera placed at a low angleforces us to look up at the subject.

Low-Angle

Low-Angle

A high angleforces us to look down at the subject.

High-Angle

A Dutch tiltor canted angle presents the world off-balance.

Aerial View / Bird’s-Eye View

Aerial View / Bird’s-Eye View

Low camera height / normal angle

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FRAMINGAND POINTOF VIEW