Camera shots and angles in films

In films there is a variety of different camera angles that are used:

Establishing/Long shot:

An establishing/long shot is normally used to show the audience where the film will be located or to show a change in location within a film. The shot can also establish a context for the scene by showing important figures and object. The shot often shows an exterior, i.e. a building or a landscape, for example, a town, the beach or the countryside and is used to display scenes of thrilling action with very little detail clearly visible:

Examples:

2012: A film that uses this shot type regularly is 2012. 2012 is an American science fiction disaster that follows the lives of Jackson Curtis, played by John Cusack, and his family as they attempt to avoid being sucked into the geological and meteorological super-disaster.

The film uses the establishing long shots to capture the action unfolding and the severe consequences that follow. The screenshots below, taken from the film, show natural disasters such as earthquakes destroying roads, buildings and cars and meteors destroying the natural habitat. From these shots, the audience have a clear idea of what impact is caused by these disasters and what can be destructed by them.  



Salt: another film that regularly uses establishing and long shots is Salt. Salt is a 2010 American action thriller spy film. The main character, Evelyn Salt, played by Angelina Jolie, who is accused of being a Russian sleeper agent goes on the run to try and clear her name.

The film uses establishing/long shots to show the audience the different locations of where Evelyn Salt escapes to and to show the chasos that follows her attempted escape. The screenshots below show two different settings of where Jolie finds herself whilst trying to clear her name and a police car chase. From these shots the audience can easy follow Jolie's geological journey and understand how important it is for her to clear her name as she is being tracked down by the police: 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Another film that widely uses establishing/long shots is The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an American science fiction adventure film and is the second instalment in The Hunger Games trilogy. In the film main characters, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.

The film uses establishing/long shots to update the audience of what district and surroundings the main characters are in and to capture the action unfolding around them. From the screenshots below the audience are given a clear image of where the scenes are located and the action occurring within them:

Medium shot:

Contains a shot of a figure from the knees or waist up and is often used for dialogue scenes or to show detail of action. Background detail is kept to a minimum as this shot is usually used to focus on dialogue and character interaction. 

Examples:
Friends with Benefits: A film that widely uses medium shots is Friends with Benefits. Friends with Benefits is a 2011 romantic comedy film that follows the story of two characters, played by Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, as they begin to develop deep feelings for one another during a friends-with-benefits relationship.
The film uses medium shots to capture the interactions between the two characters during scenes of dialogue and interaction that show detail to the growing connection between the two. The below screenshots capture the interaction between the two characters:

No Strings Attached: A second film that widely uses medium shots is No Strings Attached. No Strings Attached is also a 2011 American romantic comedy that follows the story of the two main characters, played by Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman, as they begin to develop deep feelings for one another whilst having a sex-only relationship, although Kutcher admits his feelings, Portman struggles to come to terms with the commitment involved within a relationship. The film uses medium shots to show the dialogue and interaction between the two characters as the film, and their relationship, progresses. The screen shots below clearly show the audience the growing feelings they have for one another through their actions and dialogue:

LOL: A final film that uses medium shot types widely is LOL. LOL is a 2012 American coming of age comedy-drama-romance starring Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore. The story follows the life of teenage girl Lola, played by Cyrus, as she experiences break ups, make ups and tricky boyfriend situations. The medium shots are used in the screenshots below to show the breaking interaction between Lola and her ex boyfriend and the growing attraction between Lola and her new boyfriend, who also happens to be her ex boyfriend's best mate:

Close up:

Shows very little background and concentrates on either a face, other body part or a specific detail of mise-en-scene. This angle magnifies the shot and emphasises the importance of the subject within the shot; the subject can be emotion or feelings shown through facial expression or body language, words written on paper or a specific object. The angle has the power to take the audience into the mind of the character on screen and can be a very intimate shot. This shot type can also be used to make the audience feel something towards a character, an action or an object, and can range from extremely comfortable to extremely uncomfortable.

Examples:

Dear John: A film that uses close up shots widely through out the film is Dear John. Dear John is a 2010 American romantic drama-war film based on the novel written by Nicholas Sparks and stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried. The story follows the life of a soldier, Tatum, after he falls in love with a young woman, Seyfried, whilst on a break from his war career. When he is set to return they agree to send letters to one another and the film follows the emotional roller coaster that is their on-off relationship. The screenshots below show the two different emotions that the audience see from both of the main characters throughout the film: sadness and happiness:

My Sister's Keeper: A second film that uses close up shots throughout it is My Sister's Keeper. My Sister's Keeper is a 2009 drama that shows the story of a family as they face the battle of leukemia within one of the children, Kate. Her younger sister Anna was conceived by means of IVF in order to be the dependency that her older sister needs. Anna is unable to continue her childhood life as she wanted to as she is not able to join in with certain activities i.e. cheer leading, and sues her parents when asked to donate one of her kidneys. It is revealed during the film that Kate believed she would not survive surgery and wanted to die and asks Anna to refuse to donate her kidney to her. Kate later dies in hospital. The screenshots below show the emotion that is most dominant through the film, sadness. The use of the close ups in each screenshot show the deep emotion of the characters and make the audience feel pathos towards them:

Safe Haven: A final film that uses close up camera shots regularly throughout is Safe Haven. Safe Haven is a 2013 American romance film based on the Nicholas Sparks novel, that stars Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. Mysterious woman, Katie, appears in a small town and her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draw her into two relationships: one with a man named Alex who has two young children and a neighbour, Jo. The more time Katie spends in the town, her guard lowers and she appears to become increasingly attached to Alex and his children. All peace is broken when disaster strikes and her past comes back to haunt her with catastrophic consequences. The screenshots below show the emotion in the faces of Katie and Alex as they come to terms with their emotions and feelings and allow the audience to understand the emotions that the characters are currently going through:

High Angle

An elevated shot above the action to give a general overview for the audience. The main characters appear less significant as they are shown as smaller and often end up being swallowed by the action surrounding them.

Exmaples:

Friends with Benefits: This film mainly uses high angles for two certain points during the film, the two flash mob scenes:

In each of these extracts from the film the high angle shot is used to capture the action of the dance flash mob within the setting. The high angle gives the audience an almost god-like feeling as they are appear above, looking down upon the action. The audience are given a clear view of the action within the shot due to the height, and as the camera angle changes from a close up or medium shot to the high angle, the two main characters shown in each video fade out within the crowd.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is a 2011 American action film and stars Tom Cruise. The film follows the eventful plot of the familiar team, from previous Mission Impossible films, setting out to clear their organisation's nameafter the implication of a bombing. This film uses high angles to capture the fast paced action within the film:

This clip shows, arguably, one of the most dramatic, on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments in the film. The use of high angles within this extract of the film emphasises the height of the building and how disastrous the consequences could be if something went the slightest bit wrong.

Eye Level/Point of view: a neutral shot where the camera is positioned as though it is actually a human observing the scene in the frame, i.e. so that the actors heads are on the same level and the camera recording.

Examples:

Mean Girls: Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy film that stars Rachel McAdams, Lindsey Lohan, Tina Fey, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert. The film follows the life of new student Katy, played by Lohan, as she befriends the popular clique in high school, the Plastics, played by McAdams, Seyfried and Chabert and turns them against one another. The film uses a wide range of eye level shots shown in the screenshots below. The screenshots show scenes of dialogue where eye level angles are present; this angle makes the audience feel as if they are in the shot with the characters in the movie and makes them feel more involved in the plot line:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an American 2012 coming-of-age comedy drama that stars Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller. The film follows the life of an introvert freshman, who is suffering from regular breakdowns throughout his childhood ever since his auntie died, who is taken in by two senior who welcome him into the real world. The eye level shots are used widely within the film are usually used in scenes of dialogue and group discussion; these scenes use this type of camera angle to include the audience into the scene itself; to make them feel a part of the movie and to further aid their understanding of the characters within the film:

Low Level: these angles can give an increase in height for the actors and actresses and can also give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles can give a sense of confusion or powerlessness to the audience when used in film.

Examples:
The Fast and the Furious: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift is an American 2006 street racing action film and the third installment in The Fast and the Furious film series that stars Lucas Black, Bow Wow and and Nathalie Kelley. The film follows the life of Alabama teenager Sean Boswell becomes a major competitor in the world of drift racing after moving in with his father in Tokyo to avoid a jail sentence in America. Low angles are used widely within the film and are usually used in scenes of where a race is taking place.The low angles emphasise the speed that the vehicle is travelling at and highlight the consequences that could come from such a high speed, i.e. crashes:

Death Race: Death Race is an American 2008 science-fiction, action thriller film that stars Jason Statham and Joan Allen. The film follows ex-con Jensen Ames as he is forced by the warden of a notorious prison to compete in a car race which inmates must brutalize and kill one another on the road to victory. The film uses low angles widely throughout during the scenes of the car races to put emphasis on the speed of the vehicles and keep the audience engaged to what could happen during the race: