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CAMERA ANGLESor die!
Eye-level shot = normal

The Great Train Robbery, 1903
Sherlock Jr., 1924
The camera
angle remains
at eye-level
when the
characters are
sitting.
Sherlock Jr., 1924
Angled shots = abnormal way of seeing?

The Shawshank Redemption, 1994
Viewers
identify with
the camera.
Force of Evil, 1948
A camera
placed at a
low angle
forces us to
look up at the
subject.
A high angle
forces us to
look down at
the subject.
Low-angle shot

Eye-level shot

The Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928

High-angle shot
A Dutch tilt
or canted
angle
presents
the world
off-balance.
The effect of
a particular
camera angle
depends on
context.
The Shining, 1980
This low-angle shot
of Joan occurs
during the torture
montage, just
before she
collapses.
Mise-en-scène
1. Design
the look of settings, props, lighting and
actors
(as in plays)
2. Composition
the organization, distribution, balance,
and general relationship of actors and
objects within the space of each shot
(as in paintings and photographs)
Framing
Subject placement using the rule of thirds
American Beauty
Subject placement using the rule of thirds
Pan’s Labyrinth. Guillermo del Toro, 2007.
Subject placement without looking room creates tension
Pan’s Labyrinth. Guillermo del Toro, 2007.
Subject placement in center
Pan’s Labyrinth. Guillermo del Toro, 2007.
Hitchcock’s rule: The size of the object in the frame should be
directly related to its importance in the story at that moment
Figure placement in a balanced composition
Juno. Jason Reitman, 2007.
Figure placement in an unbalanced composition
Juno. Jason Reitman, 2007.
Figure placement in a balanced composition
American Beauty
A deep frame that emphasizes the z axis
The Shining. Stanley Kubrick, 1980.
A flat frame that understates the z axis
The Conversation. Francis Ford Coppola, 1974.
Extreme long shot
The Searchers. John Ford, 1956.
Long shot
The Searchers. John Ford, 1956.
Medium long shot / Three shot
The Searchers. John Ford, 1956.
Medium shot / Two shot
The Searchers. John Ford, 1956.
Medium shot / Single
The Searchers. John Ford, 1956.
Close up
The Searchers. John Ford, 1956.

Camera Angles and Framing

Editor's Notes

  • #5 The camera remains at eye level, even thought the characters are seated.
  • #18 Off-center = Room to move
  • #19 Off-center = Room to move