High Angle Shot
Definition
A High Angle Shot is a camera angle in which the camera is positioned above the subject and pointed downward. High angle shots make the subject appear smaller, more vulnerable, and less powerful than the camera. They can be used to suggest a character's diminished status, to provide a bird's-eye view of a scene, or to create a sense of surveillance or observation. The extreme version of the high angle shot is the "bird's-eye view" or "overhead shot," in which the camera is positioned directly above the subject.
Contextual Usage
The director discusses the visual language of the film: "Every time we see the protagonist in the presence of the antagonist, I want to use a high angle on the protagonist and a low angle on the antagonist. The visual contrast between the two angles should reinforce the power dynamic — the protagonist is always diminished in the antagonist's presence."
About this section
Production — or "principal photography" — is the phase in which the film or video is actually shot. It is the most visible and, typically, the most expensive phase of the entire process. Every day on ...
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