Preliminary Task - Camera Angles/Shots

Camera Angles/Shots

I researched the main camera angles and shots used in cinematography as well as putting the traditional angles/shots used in pop music videos in red. However, because my music video will be loosely pop, I still explore other, more unique angles that I could incorporate into my video because I do not want the video to be cliché pop. From this research, I have created a video montage demonstrating my own trials at each angle. This allowed me to understand how to film different shots as well as being able to see the strengths and weaknesses of each shot, as well as noting down difficulties for when I begin to film. 

Here is my video along with the explanation of each shot filmed within the clip and strengths and weaknesses of them:

Dutch angle

The camera is set at an angle on its roll axis so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of the frame, or so that the horizon line of the shot is not parallel with the bottom of the camera frame. This produces a viewpoint akin to tilting one's head to the side. 

Strengths – The dutch angle can give a shot energy, with the horizontal lines created. This kind of shot can show instability or tension and allows the camera man/woman to work with a lot of space to fit a lot in the frame. As I filmed using this angle, I found that I was able to include the area from the sky to the ground, which is almost between a portrait and a landscape angle. This is because a portrait angle includes a lot vertically from the sky to the ground yet lacks the width of a landscape shot. With the dutch angle I found that you can get the inbetween effect, including a lot of area both length and width-wise, yet is more creative and interesting to watch than a standard wide angle. In terms of how the shot looked however, it made the footage seem modern and almost ‘rebelling’ in a sense that instead of the camera moving in a side to side motion, moving diagonally looks a lot more powerful and as if the camera is in control.

Weaknesses – This angle was fairly difficult to film because I found it hard to do on a tripod. When my camera was on an angle on the tripod, I had to lift the tripod to create the movement yet this made the shot shaky and I thought that hand-held would be a more beneficial option. Although hand-held gave a smoother ‘sweep’, I found it hard to get perfect as there still a little shake. Presumably in large film companies, the camera is suspended on bars and moved by remote to achieve the smoothest sweep. 

Low angle

A shot from a camera angle positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eye line, looking up. Sometimes, it is even directly below the subject's feet. Psychologically, the effect of the low-angle shot is that it makes the subject look strong and powerful.

Strengths – In terms of filming capabilities, I found that this shot was easy for me to achieve, as I could hold my camera steady; in this way, the shot was very low, or I also tried lowering my tripod to the lowest it would reach, before positioning my camera at an upwards angle. The tripod prevented shakiness yet was not as low as I would have liked, so it could be more useful to use a smaller tripod for this kind of shot. 

The I like the look of this angle as it almost creates a circle through how actors can come into frame from above, and look upside down, or anywhere in the shot, which gives a reverse fish eye effect. I think the angle would work well with sun rays shining down and flickering between actors or even trees/architecture. Also, it could work well when people are in shot and are seen to be dropping objects/liquid, or even if snow is falling from above.

Weaknesses – When I held my camera low to the ground, it was hard to see the screen and what I was filming. This meant I could not see what was in shot so I could only check afterwards to whether the shot turned out how I wanted it to. If I use this angle in the future I will use a very small tripod however there. Another weakness of this angle is that it could make a video look quite vintage whereas I want my music video to look quite modern. A lot of vintage hip-hop/rap uses angles of artists from above to make them look more powerful yet from a cinematographic point of view, the shot may not look smooth and beautiful yet instead may look more informal. 

Eye level

The axis around which a perspective drawing is constructed. When we are outdoors we use the horizon as a point of reference to judge the scale and distance of objects in relation to us. In perspective drawing, the horizon also happens to be the viewer's eye-level.

Strengths – When filming these shots, I used my own eye level with some of the shots and in others I used the eye level of the model, which seemed more natural to look back on. I could have used my tripod however it does not have wheels so I may need to purchase one if I use a lot of these shots in my actual music video because it would give me a much smoother shot. The look of the shot allows the viewer to be personal to the actor/artist because we are at a level in which we could have a conversation with them. At this level, we can also see the details of their facial features and their facial expressions so even though it may not be a close-up we can see what they are feeling. 

Another thing you can do with this type of angle is create a ‘point-of-view’ effect by acting as if the camera is your eyes, and moving your hands so they come into frame from the sides. This looks best when done on a go-pro, however you could still have one hand free to hold the camera.

Weaknesses – If you are holding the camera the shot could be shaky, yet often this is the desired effect. With a go-pro, it is as if your body is the tripod so the footage won’t be shaky because the camera combats that yet it will jump around a lot. When filming the artists eye-level, I could use a tripod that has wheels to move around as a tracking shot or simply have it still to film a couple of seconds of a shot. This shot would work well however placed in between long shots and close ups as variety.

High angle

A cinematic technique where the camera looks down on the subject from a high angle and the point of focus often gets "swallowed up." High-angle shots can make the subject seem vulnerable or powerless when applied with the correct mood, setting, and effects.

Strengths – This is opposite to the low angle, yet not quite birds eye view. As I have a very low budget for my video I could use a stepladder or chair to get some height to my shots. I found when filming this that it looks better with a lower angle, still above the subject yet only slightly. It made the subject look vulnerable and lost in all of the space surrounding them. 

Weaknesses – One issue I found was that my tripod was not big enough to extend above the subject however when I stepped higher up, the tripod would be hard to balance, yet I needed the shot to not be shaky. This is not my favourite shot simply because I do not really like the angles created, I prefer a music video that is experimental with angles along the width of the screen yet prefer it all to be in landscape/wide angle because it makes it look more seamless and cinematic. This is important when I hope to achieve a modern look to my video. In a sense, I think it made the shot look less sophisticated and more playful yet I want my video to be meaningful and emotional.

Long shot

Shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. These are typically shot now using wide-angle cameras.

Strengths – I could use a tripod easily with this shot because it didn’t have to move around. For this shot I simply positioned my camera to make sure the angle was perfect in the viewfinder before letting the world naturally move whilst filming it. From this I could do time lapses and slow-motion shots which would look good but may not necessarily work in my music video. When looking back at the footage, a long shot is beneficial because we can see the whole of the actors/artist’s body and their gestures and emotions that come from this. Props can also easily be visible when using this kind of shot.

Weaknesses – However there are drawbacks with this kind of shot such as how we cannot see facial expressions as clearly as we could with a close-up. If a shot started with a long angle and then tracked the actor, we could be drawn in to see closer yet a still long shot only shows the actors body and what they are wearing. We can also see how their surroundings influence the meaning of the video. I will use long shots in my music video however in between these kinds of shots I would include cuts to close-ups so we can get an insight to how the artist is feeling throughout different stages of the video.

Close-up- Tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots (cinematic techniques). Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene. Moving in to a close-up or away from a close-up is a common type of zooming.

Strengths – One advantage of close-up were that it allowed me to film and see the facial expressions of the artist much more clearly, as this is something in the video constantly changing so I think it is important to have close-ups often in the video because we can keep track of their emotions. However, just because we are zoomed in doesn’t mean we cannot see the background and props. Props can be used on the upper body as well the background being in more detail. It allows us to gain more knowledge about their surroundings as with long shots we get only moments to take in where they are, so zooming in to different elements of a location can give more insight to a location. 

Weaknesses – However a close-up is very different from an ‘extreme close up’ (ECU) which means that we can see details in facial features and outfits as well as expressions. I prefer extreme close-ups rather than regular close-ups because they make the video more interesting, especially when cutting from a long shot to an ECU which can make it much more engaging for a viewer. If I use close-up shots I do not think I will include many in my music video because I prefer one extreme to the other to make the video more dramatic and constantly changing. 

Medium shot

The medium shot is a general, all-purpose shot. Medium shots are used for dialogue sequences, and they allow the viewer to pick up on the character's movements and gestures. Body language is important to conveying emotion, and the medium shot remains close enough to capture that emotion.

Strengths – We are able to see the face and some of the body yet as little as much filmed, such as a medium shot that is on a scale and more towards a long shot or a more towards a close up. A medium shot enables us to see small details on the face and upper body. This allows us to see features and facial expressions easily. When filming this I found that I could hold my camera using my hand and can still successfully achieve a still, smooth shot yet it would still look better using a tripod. With a medium shot, props can still be used that the artist is holding and we can still get an adequate view of the background/surroundings as well as actions happening behind the artist.  

Weaknesses – However because we cannot see the whole body with this kind of shot, in my music video I may have to constantly switch shots so we are reminded what the bottom half of the artist is doing such as whether they are walking. Also, when a using a tripod, often it didn’t extend enough to reach the height of the artist. This shot however would work well if the artist is lipsyncing because we can easily see that they are actually singing yet the pressure to get the lipsyncing perfect isn’t as much as it would be with an extreme close up of, for example, the lips.

Pan

Camera is held horizontally so that it sweeps around the scene. It can also be tilted up or down in a vertical panning shot or in a diagonal pan, as when it follows an actor up a stairway.

Strengths – One advantage of panning is the ability to show a lot more of the set/location/surroundings, such as, if filming a street, we are given an expanded view of what lies ahead and cameo’s on the street. It can also be used as a tracking shot at the same time. I also like the effect the pan gave of blurring the surroundings as we pan before at the end of the pan focusing on the new location. I could use this in my music video as a transition from one background to another, such as using a slow pan or a quicker one. A quicker pan would make the transition even more blurry which I would probably prefer because it is more interesting as we don’t know as a viewer what we will be presented with at the end of the pan. Also, a quicker pan would work better with a faster pace and beat of the music.

Weaknesses – I found that when filming using my hand, the footage was quite shaky and this was due to the fact that my hand was moving the camera and it was difficult to move it in a swoop, making sure the speed stayed constant throughout. However, when using a tripod, I used the handle on the side to move the camera lens which meant I had more control. This was because the camera was still and did not shake. I did however have to make sure that my movement of the handle was smooth and remained the same speed throughout the pan. 

Tilt

The camera stays in a fixed position but rotates up/down in a vertical plane. Tilting the camera results in a motion similar to someone raising or lowering their head to look up or down.

Strengths – I liked this effect because it made the footage more interesting to watch as oppose to just having a regular pan upwards. This made the shot and video overall less formal as well as allowing the viewer to gain more of the surroundings as we were able to transition from what was on the ground to, in this case, buildings, towered up into the sky, as well as seeing a fair amount landscape-wise. I think this shot works best when there are two significant elements that you want to be included in a shot, such as panning up from an actor, for example, that could be walking, to the architecture/crowds or anything above them.

Weaknesses – This shot was difficult to execute on a camera however was do-able. I had to place the camera on the tripod at an angle and undo the fastening so that I could smoothly move extend the tripod taller. I had to do this slowly and smoothly so that the footage did not speed up in parts yet remained the same speed throughout. This meant carrying the weight of the camera meaning that pushing it up was quite difficult as this made it more shaky. I felt when filming this shot hand-held, I could do the tilt technique faster as any shakiness became less observable. The pan upwards when done quicker can mean that shakiness is not seen as the transition becomes smoother.  

Tracking shot

The camera moves alongside the object(s) it is recording. In cinematography, the term refers to a shot in which the camera is mounted on a camera dolly that is then placed on rails – like a railroad track. The camera is then pushed along the track while the image is being filmed. A tracking shot generally runs lateral to or alongside its subject since the tracks would be visible in a shot of any distance that moved toward or away from its subject.

Strengths – This shot was really helpful by allowing the viewer to see the main actor/subject of the shot whilst blurring the background as we follow the actor yet the background may be going in the opposite direction which creates a blur of colour. This could be really effective when working with lights behind a subject, such as city billboards that are blurred behind the silhouette of the actor being filmed. It was also easy to film and looked purposeful when filmed hand-held because any shakiness could look like you are someone walking past.

Weaknesses – It was difficult however to gain speed especially when the subject was moving quite fast. It was important to stay at the same speed as the subject because otherwise the subject may not have been as sharp as if it was blending into the background. However this type of shot was very helpful by letting the viewer see a panorama of what is in the background, letting the cameraman include more details.

Zoom

The technique of changing the focal length of a zoom lens (and hence the angle of view) during a shot – this technique is also called a zoom. The technique allows a change from close-up to wide shot (or vice versa) during a shot, giving a cinematographic degree of freedom.

Strengths – This shot helped direct the viewers attention almost, which can be helpful when there is a detail in a shot which is the most important in a scene, for example in creating a meaning. When filming the London skyline, I zoomed into ‘The Shard’ because it was very dominating against many of the other building as is one of the most recognisable buildings around the world. This shot can also easily be used at the same time as other shots, such as a long-shot that zooms in.

Weaknesses – I found that when you zoom, you have less control when further zoomed, meaning the footage can be quite shaky which is why I would definitely use a tripod for this technique when filming my music video. This shot also means there is less time for the viewer to take in surroundings of the shot/scene, as if we are controlling what they see and when. However when zooms are used in moderation they can be effective.

Hand-held

Technique in which a camera is held in the camera operator's hands as opposed to being mounted on a tripod or another base. Hand-held camera shots often result in a shaky image, unlike the stable image from a tripod-mounted camera. Purposeful use of this technique is called shaky camera and can be heightened by the camera operator during filming, or artificially simulated in post-production.

Strengths – This shot has become one of my favourites because it gives a ‘home video’ effect which looks very vintage and informal to inject fun and light-hearted-ness into a video. It can also help to tell a story as mostly you would use hand-held as you were walking or panning, to show more of a scene. It can also be used with editing effects after to make it look old and vintage. The shot almost makes the video look like a holiday diary, like videos you would make when filming something like a wedding as a viewer’s perspective.

Weaknesses – It was difficult to get the balance right of how shaky I wanted the shot to be, as if you run and film, the footage can look very jogged. Ultimately when you film anything, you want the footage to be smooth yet for example in the 1980’s, technology was not as advanced so a lot of home videos would look like this. A nice feature to add could be the date and time at the bottom of the screen as this would add to it’s vintage feel.

Birds eye

An elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans, and maps.

Strengths – This shot can break up the almost two-dimensional angles because a lot of the time we film only on the ground meaning we have such as lack of perspective. Filming directly from above can make a video so much more interesting because we do not usually as humans view scenes from above. It also allows us to see a lot of more of the surroundings and what is happening around the subject. 

Weaknesses – One obvious problem with this type of shot is that it is hard to film unless you are filming from a helicopter, directly above a scene. However, because I filmed in London there were a few places that allowed me to almost get the same effect, such as from a level above in a shopping centre. I had to film these shot without a tripod however and it was very dangerous to hold my camera at such heights.

Arc shot

A shot in which the subject is circled by the camera. 

Strengths – This is one of my favourite shots because it is creative and can display the whole of the subject as well as one 360 degree panoramic of their surroundings. Also, we can see the actor’s expressions as they can even turn with the camera. This type of shot is often used in landscape when it captures the actors looking round their surroundings in awe or lip-syncing words to a song. An arc shot would probably look best using a tripod with wheels so you can start recording before swiftly moving the tripod around the subject. It can also represent the character feeling lost or confused in such a big place as it can make them look very small in comparison. 

Weaknesses – However an arc shot can result in the viewer losing focus of the subject and instead paying more attention to the surroundings which isn’t necessarily a negative thing yet may not be the desired intention. It can also look shaky when the camera is hand-held but I filmed like this and I really liked the effect it gave because it could make the character look even more lost and confused.

Deep focus

A shot that keeps the foreground, middle ground and background all in sharp focus.

Strengths – This is usually automatic when filmed a long shot and a character when at distance, whereas when a character is up close, the background may be out of focus. When the whole of the shot is in focus, it can be a lot of information to take in, including subtle meanings in elements of the location, such as signs or buildings, so it can be useful for this shot to be lengthy. This runs the risk of becoming boring so the character in the middle may often be dancing to become the centre of attention.

Weaknesses – Sometimes however it is nice for the background to be out of focus. I found a shallow depth of field difficult to achieve with my camera however I have time to practice this before filming my actual music video.

Locked-down shot

The camera is fixed in one position while the action continues off-screen. It says life is messy and cannot be contained by a camera.

Strengths – This shot depends on the content of the footage, and often uses people, such as voices being heard off screen to make it as if people are in the room yet cannot be seen. It could also be a still shot simply with crowds and different people coming in and out of shot in a busy location, as this way the action happens naturally disregarding that there is a camera. I found that this worked well with time-lapse of crowds moving and the subject moving in and out of the frame. This is because I used music over the top of my video meaning that off-screen voices couldn’t be heard anyway.

Weaknesses – This can make the footage quite uninteresting especially when the shot is used for a long period of time, however when used in moderation it can look very effective. It can also take a lot of time to film, such as filming a time-lapse of a sunset would need for you to start recording and then leaving the camera for up to an hour. 

Over-the-shoulder shot

The camera is positioned behind one subject's shoulder, usually during a conversation. It implies a connection between the speakers as opposed to the single shot that suggests distance.

Strengths – This shot allows the focus to be more on the location and surroundings and as viewers we also gain almost the same perspective as the character that is just in frame, as if we are seeing the world through their eyes. 

Weaknesses – This shot would look best using a tripod on wheels as when I filmed it, it looked quite shaky. Also, the shot may not work well if the surroundings are not interesting, for example an over-the-shoulder shot of just a brick wall may not serve any purpose.

Whip-pan

A shot that is the same as a pan but is so fast that picture blurs beyond recognition. 

Strengths – I think that the whip-pan was easier to film than a regular pan because I had less time to go wrong, meaning any shakiness in the shot will go more unnoticed because of the shorter duration of time that the shot plays for. In terms of viewer’s enjoyment and insight, the shot can start of slower so we get a gist of where we are and what we are looking at.

Weaknesses – One problem with a whip-pan is that is some cases it may not serve any purpose as all the viewer sees for a split second is simply a blur of colour, which may be aesthetically purposeful yet means we cannot get an insight to what we are looking at and what it might represent. 

Shoot straight up                                                                                                                                  Shooting with the camera lens pointed towards the sky/ceiling.

Strengths – This type of shot can work well to break other shots up, in a way that it doesn’t become uninteresting for the viewer. This is because it allows us to be exposed to a completely different perspective, and can act from our perspective as if we are looking up at the sky/ceiling.  I also think that when I come to film my own music video, finding artistic and aesthetically pleasing ceilings, for example in churches, can work well and add culture and well as different feels to a video.

Weaknesses – I found it very difficult and painful to both point the camera upwards whilst at the same time look at the viewfinder to quality-control the shot. Also, this shot would have to be used very rarely in my music video to work well; if used too much it would be very uninteresting for the viewer.

Examples of shots/angles in an existent music video

Troye Sivan – My My My!

-      Dutch angle

-      Medium shot

-      Eye level shot

-      Long shot

-      Tracking shot

-      Low angle

-      Extreme close-up

-      Birds eye

-      Close-up

I chose to briefly look at the video for ‘My My My!’ by Troye Sivan because I really liked how it was shot and it has inspired how I want my own to look like in terms of angles/shot/techniques. The video and how it was filmed reminded me in two ways of how I want my video to be, and these elements of the video in which I like will definitely be included in my own video.

Firstly, I like how quick and fast paced the video is; this is created through the many cuts used frequently throughout the video. Personally, I like this effect as it keeps the video edgy and interesting as we are constantly presented with something new to look at. 

I also like the types of shots used because they are very simple. I feel that this video is less about how it was filmed and more about the content and meaning of the video and song which is something I want to consider when filming my own video; the fact that the shots I use have to be purposeful in delivering the right message that I want to put across. 

Overall conclusion

I decided to film my preliminary video in London because it is a very urban city with lots of artwork and unique infrastructure. I also thought it would appeal to a teenage audience due to the street art. Filming my video here has inspired me to possibly film my actual music video in London because it is very well known and can show my journey there and back.

I have learnt so much over this preliminary task, however mainly it has been the experience I have gained from actively getting out and filming my own video, which has allowed me to see what I like and dislike for when I film my music video. From a lot of my research I have found things that I assumed would work well in the video, however I found that it was until I went out and started filming that I found that some things that theoretically worked well in my head didn’t look as good in real life. This has been so important as I have been able to establish what will for definite work well in terms of how I film the video. Whilst filming my video, I experienced some drawbacks such as how busy it was in London. This meant that there was not much space to film as well as that fact that I had to be careful of my equipment being stolen in such crowded spaces. Also, for quite I few of the shots I had to retake due to members of the public coming into shot or my hand being too shaky. When I went to film the skyline it was very cold which made my hands shake even more. I would have taken my tripod yet it took up a lot of space and would have been hard to carry around because across both trips, I spent around 15 hours in London. 

The task has also helped me realise what improvement I need to make so that the quality of my filming abilities increase for when I come to film the actual music video. For example, I may need to borrow/buy certain equipment because I feel some equipment will really be able to give my video the professional edge, as I do not want my music video to look like an A-level student has quickly made it, yet an actual professional has made it, or as close I can get to the look. 

Within this task, I have also looked at other artists and what kind of shots are used in the music videos under what genre I am using as the theme for my video, and Sivan’s video has visually inspired me to use similar camera shots/angles to create a similar feel in my own music video. 

One of the major issues I came across was trying to get the footage from my camera onto my phone in order to edit the clips. I used dropbox which took about 9 hours in total to upload all of the clips. I will find a new software to upload clips which is much quicker, yet I will most likely just edit on my laptop, and edit using a free trial of Final Cut because this is what man professionals in the industry use.

Peer Assessment 

'Your prelim video is amazing, I love the London theme and the music goes really well with the pace and the fact that Adele is from London is perfect!' Jessica Underwood

'You definitely have a good eye for seeing what would work well and when in a video. Make sure you show off this flair in your actual music video' Miss Rowe, my teacher

'The video was very engaging and you included a variety of the shots you have talked about. For your actual video, you could perhaps use a tripod so that the shots aren't as shaky' Mia Agar Rea

'Your video is very fast paced and you have demonstrated many different camera techniques. This means you can choose you favourite shots/angles and use them in your real video' Max Colbeck

'I love how sophisticated and edgy your video is. Next time you should spend longer editing so you can add more effects' Kitty Jones