Camera angles
If shot size decides the distance, the angle decides the power dynamic. Looking at someone from below or from above completely changes how we see them, even if they say exactly the same thing.
The angles, from top to bottom
| Angle | Camera position | What it conveys |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead shot | Directly above, looking down | An overview, control, sometimes isolation or a “God's-eye” view. Very common in cooking and craft videos |
| High angle | Above eye level, tilted down | Vulnerability, inferiority, smallness |
| Eye level | At the height of the eyes | Neutrality, equality with the viewer |
| Low angle | Below, tilted up | Power, superiority, threat or heroism |
| Worm's-eye view | From the ground, looking almost straight up | An extreme, monumental or disorienting effect |
| Dutch angle | Camera rotated on its axis | Instability, tension, something's wrong |
Eye level is harder than it looks
For it to be truly neutral, the lens has to be at the eye level of the person in the shot, not the person filming. If you're 5'11" (1.80 m) and you film someone sitting down with the camera at your chest, you're already shooting a slight high angle.
In a seated interview, lower the tripod until the lens is at the interviewee's eye level or slightly above. A very slight high angle of just a few degrees is usually flattering: it lengthens the neck and avoids looking up under the chin.
High and low angles: in moderation
Strong angles are very expressive, and that's why they wear out quickly. One low-angle shot of a villain works; ten in a row turn the video into a parody. Also keep distortion in mind: with a wide-angle lens from below, legs get longer and the head shrinks; from above, the head gets bigger.
Don't
Always film your interviewee from your own standing height while she's sitting down.
Do
Lower the camera to her eye level and save high and low angles for when you want them to say something.
The Dutch angle
Tilting the camera so the horizon is crooked breaks the stability we expect from the image. It's used for moments of madness, drunkenness, tension or danger. More than 10–15 degrees reads as intentional; less than 3 looks like a mistake. If you tilt the camera, make it obvious that it's on purpose.
Angle and point of view
Beyond height there's horizontal position: frontal (face on), three-quarter (on a diagonal, the most common in interviews because it gives the face shape), profile or from behind. A frontal interview looking into the lens speaks directly to the viewer; a three-quarter one looking off-camera feels like a conversation we're watching.
- From below, power; from above, vulnerability; at eye level, neutrality.
- The eye-level angle is measured by the subject's eyes, not yours.
- Use extreme angles with intention and in moderation.
- A Dutch angle has to look intentional.
Your turn: the same line, three characters
Ask someone to say a neutral line, for example “Tomorrow at nine, by the door”, and film it three times.
- From a high angle.
- At eye level.
- From a low angle. Show the three shots to someone else and ask them what the character is like in each one.