Learning About Camera Angles

First we learnt about the different camera angles and how the present different feelings for the audience. We watched the first scene from the film Pleasantville and wrote notes about the different camera angles and why the director has decided to use them. The film opened at a wide shot so that the audience knew you were in a school with a lot of teenagers walking around. Then the camera angle changed to a close up of the boys face. The camera then changed to p.o.v of the boy, and the shot changed to what the boy is seeing (the girl). This gives the audience the feeling that the boy and girl are having a conversation. The camera angle then changed to an over the shoulder shot of the boy. This allows the audience to see what the character of the boy is seeing. From the director doing this shot, the audience realise that the boy and the girl were not having a conversation. Instead the boy was imagining he was, but the girl was on the other side of the set. The director then chose to change the camera angle to a high angle shot; this makes the audience feel sorry for the character of the boy as they are looking down at him.

Another angle that would make the audience feel something is point of view shot. This pictures makes you feel as if the girl is being followed. During a point of view shot like this the camera movement can also add to the suspense and creepy feeling. This can be done by the camera replicating the stalker looking around a corner or through something. This would make you see what the stalker is seeing, and his point of view.