Camera Shots and Angles
Hi again! Today, I recorded 5 clips using different camera shots to practice filming different angles. I have shared my results below!
High-Angle Shot
In a high-angle shot, the camera is positioned to look down at the subject, making them appear smaller and weaker than they actually are.
To do this, I found a small stone stack that I climbed on to reach a higher altitude. While it was not the highest of altitudes, it still got the job done. It provided me with the elevation I needed to create the size difference illusion. Then, looking down, I filmed my classmates doing their own activities. With this shot, I wanted to make the people look smaller than they would in real life.
Close-up Shot
Close-up shots are taken near a subject or object to show more detail.
This shot required me to position my phone camera close enough to focus on the details of the various parts of the flower. This shot took me a few times to take properly due to blur when zooming in. The camera would often fail to capture the detail I intended it to do. When I took this, my objective was to show precise detail of the front flowers while limiting the attention to other plants in the back. In addition, this created a depth in the shot that would not have been possible had the entire frame been in focus.
Over-the-Shoulder Shot
For over-the-shoulder shots, the camera is positioned behind the shoulder of one character and angled toward the face of the second character. This is typically done for dialogue scenes.
With this shot, I had to stand behind one of my friends and hold my phone camera just above shoulder height. After that, I pointed it toward a second friend to capture their face. This one took slightly longer because I had to make the camera focus on both subjects. In a couple of takes prior to this one, the camera would accidently focus on one person and slightly blur the other, forcing me to re-take. My goal with this shot was to capture the interchange between my two friends in a way that is easy to follow along.
Low-Angle Shot
Low-angle shots are when the camera is stationed near ground height and looks up at subjects to make them appear bigger and stronger.
This camera shot was almost the direct opposite of the high-angle shot in terms of set-up and purpose. To pull off this shot, I needed to kneel down and hold my phone camera as low to the ground as possible to create a distinguishable difference in height. Then, I had to angle my phone so there was a proper incline in the field of view. I attempted to make my friend look taller, larger, and stronger, similar to a superhero.
Extreme Wide Shot
Finally, extreme wide shots are where the camera is distanced enough to reveal a large landscape, with very minor attention to the person or object.
For this, I had to back up to a far distance to capture a wide view of the surroundings. I also had to be far enough that my friend was hard to point out from the frame. Despite, I still had to maintain a moderate focus on everything in the camera frame. By doing so, I tried to put more importance on the setting rather than the person between my lenses. In some cases, the extreme-wide shot could also be used as an establishing shot if the frame contains the proper objects that convey the setting.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the close-up shot as it showed great detail of the flower. I liked how it was only focused on one specific part of the flower and not the rest. Another shot that I enjoyed was the low-angle shot. I liked the way how you made it where the subject appears larger. This made me feel scared a little bit because of how large the subject appeared. It also reminds me of Spider-Man.
DeleteI enjoyed both the Extreme Wide Shot and the Over-The-Shoulder Shot. The EWS made me feel the weight of the atmosphere as it emphasized the surroundings more than the character. This made me feel the character was unimportant. The OTS allowed me to properly pay attention to the conversation by focusing on the subject speaking. This made me feel as if I was in the moment, as I was face-to-face with the speaker.
ReplyDeleteHi Ahmad, I thoroughly enjoyed all of your shots; however, I'm going to choose the shots I enjoyed most, which are the extreme wide shot and low angle shot. In the extreme wide shot, either by stepping back really far, the cameraman moving back, or maybe a combination of both, you achieve the goal of an extreme wide shot: putting emphasis on the surroundings and making yourself look small and unimportant. Being next to a tree and caressing it also symbolizes the sadness and helplessness a character usually has in an extreme wide shot. Moreover, I also enjoyed your low-angle shot. As you heroically ran on top of the bricks and jumped off in a pose, you created an aura of heroism, which is exactly what should be done with a low-angle shot. The low angle of the shot causes the viewer to be looking up to you, coupled with the imitation of Spiderman shooting his webs, which also adds to the heroic atmosphere of the clip.
ReplyDeleteI was truly amazed by the Over the Shoulder shot. The camera placement and angle made me feel immersed like I was in the video also talking to them. The Close Up shot was also breathtaking! I could see all the details of the flower made me feel more informed seeing all the flower's features.
ReplyDeleteHey Ahmad! After viewing all of your shots, I have to say these have been quite entertaining. The best takes that impressed me were the over-the-shoulder shot and the close-up shot. The over-the-shoulder shot worked for me because of how you actually captured your friends interacting. I can appreciate the effort taken to ensure both were in focus; really well rewarded, as it was very easy to follow the exchange. I must say that I also liked the close-up shot on how you have focused on the details of the front flowers and kept the back plants muted brought out the intricacy of the subject. Great work on these and I'm excited to see what you come up with next!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite shots of yours include the close-up shot and the over-the-shoulder shot. I liked the close-up shot because it is rich in detail, showcasing the vibrant purple color. Furthermore, I like the over-the-shoulder shot because it makes me feel immersed in the conversation.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite shot you posted was the over the shoulder shot. I felt like I was in the conversation because of the angle you set it to. The closeup shot was also very nice because it showed all the in depth details of the flower and I thought it was worth commenting on.
ReplyDelete