Independent Study: Camera Angles

I decided to look at some camera angles that are present within supernatural horrors in order to gain some ideas and possible angles we could use within our opening sequence. The first film I decided to look at was called The Possession.

The first shot within the opening scene is that of a medium shot. The character who, although isn't significant to the rest of the film, if established as a having a main link to the characters who appear later.

The second shot of the scene is also a medium shot. The main focus of the shot, is the only thing the audience can notice. This shot is establishing the 'evil' source within the film. It slowly zooms in, creating tension and building suspense.

This is known as a long shot, as the character is in the far distance continuing to carry out their original tasks. This sets the scene and allows the editor to add in effects such as non diegetic sounds or even graphic effects of perhaps a ghost in the corner.

This shot is a close up on a specific item. This also adds tension and makes it impossible for the audience to look away from the screen. It also grabs your attention and allows the director to have a sudden change of camera angle, making the audience jump.

I then looked at a second film called Paranormal Activity which has a completely different take on camera angles. The main shot, used within this film is called a point of view shot. This causes the shot to look very unprofessional, however it puts you in the position of the character making the film seem more real.

This shot was done at night and therefore in a night vision camera mode which allows the audience to be able to see what is going on in the dark. This camera was placed on a tripod in the corner of the room, giving the audience a wide view of the room and setting .

In this shot, the camera is obviously placed higher than the characters in order to seems as though the camera was hidden. This allows the audience to establish the setting and the get a feel of the location. In addition to this, it allows the audience to see everything that is going on within the shot.

The idea of using shots like this allows the audience to experience actually being there. The whole film is created as though it was a home video. This puts the audience in the characters position therefore scaring the audience more. This shot is a mid shot, with the characters in the centre of the screen however it does contain some camera shake, showing that the camera man/woman isn't a professional.