Written by: Dhiraj Chapagain - 2022007, Grade X
Posted on: 10 August, 2020
Filmmakers usually use camera movements and angles to change how we feel about a scene. There are many brilliant things that contribute to making a good film such as storyline, acting, directing but the thing we forget to notice is camera movement and angle.
The camera is the eye of the film and it is manipulated to make viewers see what filmmakers want them to see. Basically cinematography acts as a visual guide for the viewers. Filmmakers use different techniques to serve the emotions of the character and one of the widely used techniques is the eye. When viewers get to see the character's eye it builds empathy for the character. It helps to get connected with what a character is feeling. Showing eyes mainly relies on three things: the presentation, the lighting, and the shot preference. For the shot selection, filmmakers usually use extreme close-ups. Extreme close up is a type of shot that often draws the viewer's attention to facial features and expressions. In the story the viewer doesn’t need to agree with the character's beliefs or morals, they just need to get a better understanding of the character's highs and lows. Through this what we gain is a complete character in itself. There are many types of shots that help filmmakers convey emotions to the audience. The first is Eye-level shot, this shot helps to provide a neutral opinion in a story. It also takes part in conveying what a character is thinking or seeing. The second is a low angle shot. This shot frames the character below their eye line and indicates their superiority among others. The third one is the High angle shot. This shot makes the camera points down to the subject and signals the inferiority of the character. The fourth type of shot is the cowboy shot. This shot can be achieved when the camera is placed at the waist level of the characters. It is usually useful when one subject is seated and other stands. The Fifth type of shot is a dutch angle. For this shot, the camera is slanted to one side horizontally creating a sense of mentally disoriented and tension. The sixth one is shoulder level shot. The camera needs to be as high as the character's shoulder to achieve this shot. This makes our subject seem smaller than reality. It is known as the standard form of eyeshot in the industry. The seventh one is establishing a shot. It helps to set up the context of the scene and the surroundings of the character. It reveals the location to the audience conveying where the action is going to occur. It is usually a wide or an aerial shot.
These were the short introduction to the types of shots and camera angles that help filmmakers convey emotions to the audience. While there are many other shots remaining to be mentioned, these were the most important and frequently used shots. In the end, what matters is a filmmaker’s vision to build the story and create spice to the story.
