Blog Post #28 - Why Camera Angles and Shots Are Important

      In film, there are so many key details to production from lighting to actors to props but, the cinematography with camera angles and shots help bring the entire film to life. This decision between the hundreds of different options can completely influence how audiences perceive the narrative and all of its aspects. Through the manipulation of this, a filmmaker can control the viewers perception of the story and  the emotions they experience. These small details can change the entire structure of the narrative and the way the plot develops. This is because certain shots and angle scan reveal details to audiences that the characters do not yet know creating significant feelings of anxiety and keeps them on the edge of their seat. Some of camera shots I prefer to use are long shots, establishing shots, over-the-shoulder shots, and two shots. A few camera angles I like to use are low angles, close-ups, dutch angles, and worms eye views. Overall, the significance of camera angles and shots are the options of feelings and story telling they provide to filmmakers.

       In this project, the opportunities for camera angles have always been considered because of how much weight they carry in a film. From the initial idea of my film to the setting locations, I have prioritized finding options that fit the scenes context and emotional value. For example, for the location of Graces bedroom, I had to find a setting where I could use the dolly out shot to create the suspenseful emotion I intended for. Another example of this is when I wrote writing the scene of the girls walking, I had to consider what angles are possible to film from and what shots would work best with the plot development. With this, I determined that over-the-shoulder shots would work best to show both sides of the conversation and the emotions being communicated. An example of an important camera angle I will be using are close-ups. These shots will help me include those intricate details that tie a film together and build viewers context on the plot of the movie. In summarization, these different angles and shots are a prioritization in my film project to create a cohesive and entertaining opening sequence in under just 2 short minutes.