Blog Post #16- Common Camera Angles Used to Show Thinking and Emotions

 Within my film, one of the most important elements is the thought process that the main character experiences after he realizes that if he continues making bad decisions that he will face consequences. To effectively show these emotions that the character experiences I realized that I need to include certain camera angles that can better represent the emotions experienced by the characters to the audience to make the film more meaningful.

Close ups are an example of a shot that can help emotions be represented to the audience. This is because a close up of a characters face allows the audience to better see their reactions and facial expressions to have a better idea of what emotions the character is currently experiencing. A close up also puts the focus of the shot on the character which also lets the audience know that the characters emotions are important to the progression of the story.

 High and low angle shots are also useful in representing emotions in film. This is because high angles can make a character be viewed as weaker which can represent inconsistencies within experienced emotions and can show uncertainties on what decisions to make. Low angles can also make an individuals thoughts appear more consistent but more aggressive, as if they are planning on making a decision that will have a large effect on their life.

Dutch angles are also another angle that has similar effects on emotion representation as the high angle. This representation is that it can help show inconsistencies within though processes, just like the high angle.

After this research on camera angles I needed to decide which ones I would implement into my film to show the thought process that the main character will have. I decided to use the high angle shot and close ups to represent the emotions and thoughts that the main character will experience through the duration of my film. My reasoning for this is that the high angles will be used to show the main characters uncertainty on making a decision. I want this to be represented to the audience because within my film, the main character will not be sure on what to do because he has fun with his friends but he has to consider that these actions will have large consequences in the future that can have a negative impact on his life. The close ups will then be used for the purpose of directing the audiences attention to the characters face. This then allows for emphasis to be put on the facial expressions and emotions that will be expressed by the main character for the purpose of highlighting what the character experienced during his thought process of what decision he should make.