High-angle shot

A high-angle shot from Big Buck Bunny
Example of high-angle shot in photography

A high-angle shot is a cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up".[1]

High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the correct mood, setting, and effects.[2] In film, they can make the scene more dramatic. If there is a person at high elevation who is talking to someone below them, this shot is often used.[3]

The height required for this shot is low enough to be achieved without flight, thus distinguishing it from a bird's-eye view.

  1. ^ Bruce Mamer (30 May 2013). Film Production Technique: Creating the Accomplished Image. Cengage Learning. pp. 8–. ISBN 978-1-285-71256-7.
  2. ^ Jennifer Van Sijll; Van Sijll Jennifer (1 August 2005). Cinematic Storytelling. Michael Wiese Productions. pp. 160–. ISBN 978-1-61593-002-9.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Popular Photography - ND. December 1949. pp. 131–.