Camera Terms-Angle

Camera Angle generally refers to the camera's relationship with the subject(s) in the frame. Frontal, Profile and 3/4 are types of angles and are covered separately. Placing the camera so it angles down on the subject is called a high angle. A set up with the camera very high over head but angled straight down is called an Aerial. Many times these shots are used to describe a setting as in the opening sequence of "West Side Story" (1961). In the shots below, a very high angle evokes a feeling of loss or sadness. Lightning finally realizes he has found a place and others he loves but is suddenly forced away. "Cars" (2006). Below, Lola looses her boyfriend in "Run Lola Run" (1998).

Getting back to high angle or 'down-shots'; generally these are used to show inferiority, loss, low moments.  We, the audience are looking down on the subject and all that implies. A perfect example is this shot from "Chocolat" (2000). The mayor, played by Alfred Molina, has fallen from his place of piety and succumbed to breaking in to a chocolate shop and destroying/eating the display. A difficult composition but well conceived to show the lowness of the character.

An ERL or Eye Ranking Level AKA Eye Ranking Angle positions the camera on a subject's horizon line.  This allows the viewers to associate with or 'feel' what the character is feeling. Example below, "The Green Mile" (1999).

Low Angle, or 'up-shots' give a sense of authority to the subject. Below Mowgli's 'father figure', someone Mowgli looks up to, is shown at a gentle up-shot from "The Jungle Book" (1967). 

Up-shots also describe power and the lower the camera the more powerful the character or subject becomes.  As in Scar leading the hyenas to Be Prepared in the "Lion King" (1994).

 Low angles also give power to settings.  Maleficent's castle seems impenetrable in the camera angle below. "Sleeping Beauty" (1959).

But, as cinema has showed us, there is always a way to twist the meaning of the shot. In "Citizen Kane" (1941), Kane has just lost the election and is shown suffering the set back, his friends start to abandon him yet, the scene is shot from a low angle.

In another example, a sheriff tries to round up a posy to hunt down Butch and Sundance and the film makers went out of their way to give the man visual power; up-shot, back lighting, placing the 'hanging tree' behind him, even having him stand on a stage in front of the onlookers but the things he says and the way the onlookers respond to him strips him of any power, even to be interrupted by a bicycle salesman. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969)

When setting up your shots thing about the visual weight of the subjects in the frame, using the correct camera angle with add emphasis to your choices.

Animation: Background Planning/Set Design

This is an area that is not my forte but here are some notes I picked over the years starting from a layout class I took with the great Scott Caple long ago and on up through time. Something Scott said was "A layout tends to feel...well, empty or awkwardly unfinished somehow until the characters are added.  Then the composition is complete."

I am going to approach this in terms of scene planning, take note that this is in no intended to be a "How To" on background ground layouts or painting but simply a "something to think about when planning your shots/scenes." Some links on this topic are here, here and here (There are so many but I don't want to get carried away).

Planning a scene is a lot like planning a a painting; you must decide what is to most important and then work your way to least important. If something has no importance it must be taken out of the shot-everything to be shown must be of some importance, even if it only adds to the composition. So a first step in planning your shots would be to ask if all of the background subject matter is necessary as well as how the elements in the BG work to achieve a solid composition.

In the image above, Rembrandt chose to position the main figure (Christ) higher to show his significance as the other figures (the sick) swarm around him.  The dark tones of the building in shadow behind the main figure out create an contrast from the foreground elements.  The shadow of the archway frames the action as light spills from right to left. The darks and lights make the visual hierarchy clear.

Below, in this drawing by Charles D Mitchell, storytelling is very clear but layout is much too flat to allow for the characters to move freely in the space due to the cluttered chairs etc.

Below is a painting I love, by Giovanni Bedini from 1924.  Here, a young woman plays a violin with such a charming expression and character that it is hard not imagine walking into this scene where she plays just for the viewer. The darkest and lightest elements lay atop each other on the right third of the painting and the painting seemed designed to allow the woman the ability to get up from her work and move around the space. It's this, seeming openness of space that is what sets layouts and BGs apart. Like real spaces, a character is able to "move" around in these imaginary environments.

But what are the first steps to scene planing?
Scene planning begins with the script/storyboarding phase. Concept art is generated while story is in development to craft the look of the themes, places and anything that will be involved in the story.  Concept development may give a snap shot of look of a moment but may not focus on setting a stage for animation as this painting from Marc Lumer for The Emperor's New Groove.

Another example of concept art from Disney's Tarzan is this drawing below. As seen, there is little room for a character to actually move around in the spaces provided here.

The next step is the planning of the actual scene beyond the concept stage. The director(s), story and layout artists decide what camera angles would be best to describe the story and action is mapped out. In this storyboard image from Batman Animated Series we see the camera has been planned to show the Penguin aiming up at an onrushing Batman. The camera tilts up and dollies into Batman, then tracks his progress right as machine gun fire explodes around him.

As scene planning is signed off, the process moves to layout, at least for 2D animation. The process changes in 3D creation. A 2D layout becomes the actual "physical" world where the characters will 'live' in each shot. Below are some examples of layouts for animation, starting with Balto followed by an example from Gulliver's Travels. In both, the spaces designated for the characters to traverse are pretty clear.

Below is a layout grid for Lady and the Tramp 2 by Patrick Raines. Where do you suppose the action of the characters will take place here? A fine example of using grids for perspective layout.

Another from 101 Dalmatians, from Animation Treasures (an awesome blog). Clearly the dogs would mount the hill.

In this layout, Cruella speaks to Horace and Jasper from her phone on the bed in long shot.  This shot followed by a close up for better staging of character action. This is a great drawing though, so I had to post it.

Two other layouts, one from Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings...

...and the other from Chuck Jones' Riki Tiki Tavi. This is down shot which pans to follow the action of the characters as they move through the garden.

Camera/Shot Break Down: Empire Strikes Back - Betrayal

I think it's really important to study films frame by frame to see how the shots are edited to together to convey a larger sense of story and I assign student to watch their favorite scene (a horribly difficult assignment, I know) and then pause it and thumbnail each cut/shot or make extra thumbnails depending on action and camera movement. Here's a favorite scene of mine from...

Specifically, the betrayal scene.  Here's where we get to see Han Solo and Darth Vader face off, Boba Fett mug for the camera, and Lando even upstage everyone with actual acting...or at least, staging. There is also some great and subtle camera work in the scene which is included.

The scene opens with Lando leading Han, Leia and a worried Chewie through the halls of cloud city to get "a little refreshment".  The four enter shot through a doorway leading into a hall, cloud city inhabitants mill about for texture, Han studies a guard positioned to the left of the shot. The group nears the camera and Lando leads them down a set a stairs and to the left of the frame.  As mentioned in another post, the movement and direction of the characters takes meaning for this film.  The direction of travel as led by Lando implies something bad.  As seen previously in the battle on Hoth, the villians traveled from right of frame to left of frame when they were attacking the rebel base (to gain advantage).  The rebels on the other hand, retreat to the left of the frame (loosing advantage). When one knows this, the walk to refreshment signals danger to our heroes. This is very subtle though but the staging of Lando, who moves closest to the camera and by doing so ends up in profile and is the first to turn his back on the group as he passes the camera as it pans left to capture the action.  There is an awful of exposition here and the action and camera move are very well designed to keep the moment alive with getting stale with all the dialogue.

LANDO: So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into

the...uh...jurisdiction of the Empire.

LEIA: So you're part of the mining guild then?

LANDO: No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be

noticed...which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are

anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves.

The shot/move cuts to a new shot/move as the group continues to walk toward the camera but now the characters move in a left to right pattern.  Lando is positioned on the left side of the group here which allows him to again pass closest to camera where he is seen in profile as the others look at him (and technically the viewers) in 3/4. The exposition continues but again, the camera work and action of the characters keeps it alive. This shot also introduces a circular motif which will become important very soon.

HAN: Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this

little operation and shut you down?

LANDO: That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over

everything we've built here. But things have developed that will insure security. 

Cut to MCU Chewie whose forward progress is matched with track left to right.  Chewie halts as the others continue forward toward the right of frame, he looks behind him to the left of frame sensing trouble and alerting the audience of an impending doom. He turns and continues toward the right of frame.  He stops in the circular window making him the sole focus of the shot.  We saw Han framed by the same window in the last shot, almost a transfer of power if you will. Chewie, as usual, becomes the eyes of the viewer.

LANDO: I've just made a deal that will-

Cut to OTS off Chewie's shoulder on Han, Leia and Lando who is not on the rightmost side of the frame. He reaches for a button.

LANDO: -keep the Empire out of here forever.

Cut to three shot OTS off Han (and Leia) on Lando.  His head is turned away from the others and he thoughtfully glances out of the corner of his eye at his old friend. this is purely an acting moment.  At this point the we, the viewer, know something isn't right but are not sure what will happen next.

Cut to centered frontal of Darth Vader as the doors slide open. Vader gets full ownership of this moment in terms of contrast, he is the darkest element surrounded by much lighter set.  He is also on the CVA and the vanishing point of the one point perspective shot lays on his head as he rises. And that circular motif commands attention screaming, "Look at me! YOU ARE SO SCREWED!"

Cut to Two Shot MCU Han and Chewie.  Doors slides to right of frame revealing Han who looks to right.

Cut to MS  DARTH VADER standing.  He is staged in the blue circle, high contrast.

Cut to Chewbacca roaring.  His proximity to camera as opposed to Vader's makes us feel more for the heroes. Staging brilliance, a lesser film maker would shoot Vader larger to make him seem more imposing.

Chewie: RAR!

Quick edit to the four as Han directs the camera in a whip pan as he brings his blaster up to fire. Han, Leia, and Chewie react in shock, while Lando has a complacent "ah darn." kind of expression.

Another quick cut to Vader centered again. Han's blaster fires and impacts on Vader's hand in a spectacular flash of sparks. Sound design here is amazing.

Cut to near reverse OTS off Vader to see Han continuing to fire. The Dark Lord catches another laser bolt in his hand. Flash! Sparks!

Cut back to MCU Han on the third as he shoots again.

Cut to Vader at MS, he blocks another blast then another with his right hand.

Back to Han, the Force wrenches his blaster from his grip. 'Fun staging and timing here as his hand is darker than the wall behind him so there is great contrast and his surprised facial expression is on screen just long enough for us to see it but not make it feel cheap.

Cut to a tracking move of the gun flying through the air toward the right of the  screen.  The blue circle not only acts as a contrast element but also suggests a transfer of power from Han (the good) to Vader (the bad)

Cut to up shot on Vader who reaches out and catches the pistol.

Cut to Vader OTS. As the smoke clears, Han's arm drops with the realization that he has lost.

VADER: We would be honored if you would join us.

Cut to OTS off Vader's right as Boba Fett enters subtle pull out to stage Vader and Fett in a two shot.

Cut to the four as stromtroopers pour in from all sides behind them including the left of frame, surrounding them, just as we saw in the Hoth battle.

LANDO: I had no choice. They arrived right before you did.

Cut to MCU Lando, on the left of frame. His position acts to further prevent escape of the heroes but also to cease the attack of the Imperials.

LANDO: I'm sorry.

Reaction shot of a shocked and speechless Leia between Han and Chewie, surrounded by the troopers in distance.  She is waiting to see what Han will do next...hopefully not try to fight his way out and get them all killed in the process.

Cut to MCU Han and his friends. We see the wheels in his turn, weighing the options. He makes a decision, and by taking Leia's hand, we see that he has no intention of allowing Leia to get hurt.

HAN: I'm sorry, too.

Cut to CU Chewie who looks at Lando in desperation.

Cut back to Lando who is trying to read Chewie, and hoping Chewie doesn't try to fight. 

CU Chewie who cries mournfully.

Cut to OTS of Lando as Han and Leia move to enter the dining room with Vader and Fett dividing the space. The four enter and the double doors slide closed shutting out the viewers..

End scene.