Lesson 3 of 9 · 8 min
Angle and height
The height of the camera is a statement about power. When we look up at a person, they seem big. When we look down, they seem small. The audience feels this before they think about it.
In this lesson
- Name five camera heights, from worm's-eye to bird's-eye.
- Say what each height does to a character.
- Use a Dutch angle on purpose.
Try it Raise and lower the camera
The camera always points at the actor. Move it from the ground up into the sky. Watch how she changes, and also the street around her. Then roll the camera with the Dutch slider.
- Make her look powerful (low angle).
- Make her look small and watched (high angle).
- Go straight up: bird's-eye view.
- Tilt the world: a strong Dutch angle.
The name for it Camera angles
The camera angle is the height of the camera and the direction it points, compared with the subject's eyes. The reference is always the subject's eye line, not the floor.
- Eye level
- The camera is at the height of the eyes. Neutral and honest. Most dialogue is shot here.
- Low angle
- Below the eyes, pointing up. The subject looks strong, tall or dangerous. The sky or ceiling often shows behind them.
- High angle
- Above the eyes, pointing down. The subject looks weak, small, trapped or watched. The floor shows behind them.
- Worm's-eye / Bird's-eye
- The two extremes: from the ground, or from straight above (also called an overhead or top shot).
- Dutch angle Canted
- The camera rolls, so the horizon is not level. It says "something is wrong". Use it rarely, or it becomes a gimmick.
- Point of view POV
- The camera shows what a character sees, from their eye position. A POV from a child is low. A POV from someone on a balcony is high.
Check Three questions
The villain enters. You want him to feel like a threat. Which angle?
A low angle makes a person look big and in control.
What is the reference for "high" and "low" angle?
A camera 1 m high is a high angle on a child sitting on the floor, and a low angle on a standing adult.
What does a Dutch angle usually tell the audience?
A tilted horizon feels unstable. "Dutch" comes from "Deutsch" (German), from German Expressionist films of the 1920s.
Field exercise Follow the power
Watch an argument scene. For each shot, note the camera height: below, at, or above the eyes. Does the camera move lower on the person who wins the argument?