VFX- Camera angles and techniques

 The 180° rule

Used for filming a dialogue scene.

You have a line of action from one character to the next and when filming the scene you would not want to cross the line, you need to keep the camera/s within the 180° around the characters.

Eye level/ Straight angle

The camera will be shooting straight and approximately at human eye level/ the correct height for the subject.

The angle is very common as it is neutral.

Low angle

A low angle will be filmed below eye-line this can be anywhere from just below to all the way down to the floor.

This type of angle can make someone look strong and heroic. It also makes them look bigger in the frame and can be used to show scale or used for perspective.

High angle

Camera held high generally held by a crane (shot from above eye level).

It can make a character look vulnerable, powerless or isolated when applied with the correct mood or setting.

Point of view

Angle that shows perspective of a character.

POV's are used a lot in horror films normally when the killer is stalking their pray; so in this example you wouldn't necessarily see the character just what they see.

You get the experience of what the character is going through.

Dutch tilt/Canted/Oblique angle

Where the camera is purposely set at a diagonal angle to the left or right.

This type of angle is used to portray psychological uneasiness, disorientation or intoxication and tension in the subject being filmed.

Birds eye view

Where the shot of a scene is looking down directly overhead generally from a height.

Gives the audience a wider view of things happening within the frame.

It will be used to show a subjects perspective maybe looking down from a great height for example.

The shot is a great way for having a big reveal for example the camera slowly pulling upwards to show a dead or injured character after a scene where there has been a shootout or accident.