1. Point of View / Perspective
The Semantics of Film-Making: Part IIThe Semantics of Film-Making: Part II

2. Point of View
 Angle of Shot establishes Point of View or Perspective.
 Reading visual images in terms of both the vertical and horizontal angles
establishes whether the viewer is being positioned to adopt a subjective or
objective point of view.

3.  Subjective images are those in which everything is
arranged for the viewers, positioning them to adopt a
particular stance with an image. The vertical angle
defines the nature of the power relations between the
viewer and the image.
 Such images tend to the naturalistic, as opposed to the
symbolic..
Subjective Perspective

4. High & Low Angles
Low AngleLow Angle
Literally,Literally, “looking up to someone”,“looking up to someone”,
gives the power to the person beinggives the power to the person being
looked upon. They are bigger thanlooked upon. They are bigger than
the person doing the looking.the person doing the looking.
High AngleHigh Angle
Literally,Literally, “looking down on“looking down on
someonesomeone”, gives the power to the”, gives the power to the
audience, the people doing the looking.audience, the people doing the looking.

5. Literally, the audienceLiterally, the audience
isis “on the same“on the same
level” as the personlevel” as the person
being looked at, orbeing looked at, or
seeing themseeing them
““eye to eye”.eye to eye”.
It conveys we areIt conveys we are
Part of the samePart of the same
social world!!social world!!
No Angle

6.  Horizontal anglesHorizontal angles encode theencode the “involvement” of the reader“involvement” of the reader
with the image through frontal and oblique points of view.with the image through frontal and oblique points of view.
 There is a shift from the moreThere is a shift from the more “naturalistic” to the“naturalistic” to the
predominance ofpredominance of significationsignification..
 A particularA particular ‘mood’ is also created depending on the‘mood’ is also created depending on the
gaze of the subject being filmed.gaze of the subject being filmed.
Objective Perspective

7.  If the participants in an imageIf the participants in an image
are depicted on the horizontalare depicted on the horizontal
angle from the front, facingangle from the front, facing
the camera squarely, then athe camera squarely, then a
connection is establishedconnection is established
between the representedbetween the represented
participants and the viewer.participants and the viewer.
Such a representation invitesSuch a representation invites
the involvement of the viewerthe involvement of the viewer
with the image.with the image.
Frontal Angle: Connecting with the Viewer

8. EDUC6751 Knowledge andEDUC6751 Knowledge and
Communication TechnologiesCommunication Technologies
 When someone in an imageWhen someone in an image
looks directly at the viewer, herlooks directly at the viewer, her
gaze establishing a directgaze establishing a direct
connection between her, theconnection between her, the
represented participant, and therepresented participant, and the
viewer, an interactive participant.viewer, an interactive participant.
This establishes aThis establishes a demanddemand, as it, as it
explicitly acknowledges theexplicitly acknowledges the
viewer: the producers of theviewer: the producers of the
image wish to influence theimage wish to influence the
viewer in some way to enter intoviewer in some way to enter into
an imaginary relation with thean imaginary relation with the
represented participant.represented participant.
Making Eye Contact: Demanding Attention

9.  Conversely, if the participants inConversely, if the participants in
an image are depicted on anan image are depicted on an
oblique angleoblique angle (i.e. the angle is not(i.e. the angle is not
straight on) the reader is beingstraight on) the reader is being
positioned to adopt apositioned to adopt a detacheddetached
point of view. The participants arepoint of view. The participants are
not recognised as part of thenot recognised as part of the
“world” of the viewer: they are“world” of the viewer: they are
“them” rather than “us”.“them” rather than “us”.
Oblique Angle: Viewer as Detached Outsider

10. EDUC6751 Knowledge andEDUC6751 Knowledge and
Communication TechnologiesCommunication Technologies
 When someone in anWhen someone in an
image does not look at theimage does not look at the
viewer, the viewerviewer, the viewer’s role is’s role is
that of an invisible andthat of an invisible and
detached onlooker. Thisdetached onlooker. This
constitutes anconstitutes an offeroffer, as the, as the
represented participantsrepresented participants
are depicted impersonallyare depicted impersonally
as items of information oras items of information or
objects for the viewer’sobjects for the viewer’s
contemplation.contemplation.
Looking Inside the Frame: Contemplative Offer