EXCUSE THE EXCUSES, SHOOT YOUR SHOT
Just like any other film industries across the globe, Nollywood has her share of intervening challenges that militate against the attainment of quality video outputs. These challenges cut across; funding, technical-know-how, legal structure, standard industry practice, lack of infrastructures, low critical audience, distribution and other self-inflicted barriers.
This essay will zoom on technical issues with extreme close up on camera angles. Camera angle is the positioning of camera and it is influenced by many factors. Talking about camera angle, I mean the physical relationship between the camera to the person or object that is in focus of filming.
“The camera’s angle not only gives a viewpoint from a physical location, it also gives emotional information to the viewer and guides the viewer’s judgement about the character or object in the shot.”
Camera angles may have different meaning to different people, but for the purpose of this discourse, it is the angle that a camera is placed in relation to the person, people or object in a scene.
The camera angle determines both the audience viewpoint and area covered in the shot. Each time you are to place your camera to a new set up, two questions must be answered i.e.:
(1) What is the best viewpoint for filming this portion?
(2) How much area should be included in the shot?
A creatively selected camera angle can heighten dramatic visualisation of the story, therefore selection of camera angle is a most important factor in constructing of picture of continued interest.
FACTORS THAT DETERMINE CAMERA ANGLE
In his book titled ‘the five Cs of Cinematography- Motion Picture Filming Techniques Simplified’, Joseph V, Mascelli identified the factors that determine camera angle as follow;
- Aesthetic
- Technical
- Psychological
- Dramatic
- Editorial
- Natural
- Physical
AESTHETIC:
This factor requires the creative aspect of a director. Considering this factor, all compositional elements: actors, props, furniture, setting, background, e.t.c should be studied with talents movements and general action of the scene in mind. Objects should be arranged to facilitate suitable staging and pleasing photography. To achieve the desired effect, some items may be removed or added. In a nutshell, the mise-en-scene MUST be a capsule of pleasing art and act to give a fantastic cinematic meaning.
When recording exteriors, advantages of foreground frames such as trees, branches. E.t.c should be considered.
TECHNICAL:
Some technical restrictions are imposed on film maker especially in the studio or location. On the other hand, problems of low budget, lack of trained personnel, poor power supply, transportation, insufficient time, and difficulties of transporting heavy equipment- particularly by air- contribute to the technical problems encountered by movie makers.
For instance, lack of camera dollies restricts filming to fixed tripods. Lighting of a particular scene depends on the availability of the appropriate lights and accessories.
All these technical factors restrict the cameraman in his handling of the subject matter.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
The principal psychology purpose of a motion picture is to sway the audience to react in a desired mood. Because it is a direct link to the viewers’ emotions. Psychological camera angling is one of the most powerful story telling weapons available to a Cinematographer.
This factor emotionally affects the audience by the camera view point.
If disinterest is the affect desired, or the scene is too violent to view at close range, long and medium shots will position the audience at a distance from the event.
Through distorted camera treatment and placement, the viewer may actually experience the intoxicated, frenzied or insane attitude of a talent through whose eyes s/he is looking. Thus, psychological reaction of viewers is based to a great extent, on camera angles.
Please note, choice of camera angle may be decided by analysing the purpose of the shot and the desired effect on viewer.
DRAMATIC:
Dramatic factors should be analysed to determine how the Central Dramatic Problems should be best handled.
Ordinarily, the camera should not distort the story- telling, if such story is able to interest the viewer by content alone, inherently dramatic subject matter may not require unusual camera angle.
Issue based or instructional films are best left with simple camera angles in order to ensure better reception, negotiation and process of the film text. Unnecessary stylistic camera angle may distort the drama value(s).
The cameraman should study the event to be filmed along with the script, and decide whether forceful camera participation would be an asset to the story- telling or whether the camera angle should function merely as a detached observer.
EDITORIAL
Editorial requirement often dictates the preferred camera angles for series of shots.
In some cases, camera angles are already determined by the screenplay (very unprofessional though). While some screenplays are written in a standard form with provision for the director’s treatments.
However, the audience should be shown the talents, object or action which they are most interested in seeing at that point.
The cameraman should not be limited to paper work, but he must also not forget the interest of the viewer.
This factor comes into play mostly when the Screenwriter doubles as the Director. The Director cum Screenwriter pays more attention to the script /editorial. S/he follows the script to the letter and beyond.
NATURAL
In exterior or outdoor production, weather plays a vital role; sun position, terrain, rain, humidity e.t.c influence choice of camera angles on exterior filming.
Exterior filming, particularly in colour depends upon the sun angle. One may think that, with a ‘butterfly’ such challenge could be managed. How many production budgets in Nollywood can take care of such lighting accessory?
Allowance for sun angles, weather and topography are made in construction of outdoor sets, but uncontrollable elements in natural settings often handicap the cameraman, so that he will be forced to compromise camera angles to fit prevailing conditions.
Though, with the help of light meter the temperature could be managed to some extent, it is still advisable that weather maps should be studied to help outdoor filming especially in unfamiliar locations.
However, even most interior shoots in Nollywood are being disrupted by natural factor, i.e. rain, wind, thunderstorm, etc. It is always good to be familiar with the weather forecast before the shooting schedule is designed.
PHYSICAL:
Physical factors hardly come into play in studio work. But in the real film location, the Director of Photography has to work with the physical limitation necessitated by size and shapes of rooms; low ceilinged rooms, poorly painted walls and may be other physical factors beyond his control.
A small room for instance may be difficult to light effectively and impossible to shoot without an wide-angle lens which most time distorts the talents.
The choice of camera angle in many movies depends largely on where the camera and light can be squeezed into position, rather than the best angle for telling the story.
PLEASE NOTE:
SUBJECT SIZE- the size of the shot definition of the image on the film is determined by the distance of the camera from the subject and focal length of the lens used to make the shot. The closer the camera, the larger the image, the longer the lens, the larger the image.
SUBJECT ANGLE- All subject matter has 3 dimensions. Even flat objects such as paper, have thickness. People, furniture, rooms, buildings, streets, all have Height, Width and Depth. 45 degree- 3 quarter angling.
CAMERA HEIGHT- While camera height is as important as camera distance and subject matter, it is often disregarded. Theatrical cameramen are very careful about lens height in relation to subject matter.
In conclusion, filmmakers should endeavour to appreciate these challenges of camera angles that could make or mar the outcome of their film productions. These challenges should be well studied, understood and managed to the advantage of a film.
It should be borne in mind that, there is no provision for footnotes in a film to explain why a camera angle is wrong to the audience. As much as the camera angle helps the audience’s major connection and reception, it is highly essential to get it right regardless of what the challenges are.
Find below a useful online resource on camera angle, by Parker Walbeck:
REFERENCES:
Haynes ,J. (1997), Nigerian Video Films, Jos, National Film Institute (NFI)
Kolker, R. P (2006), Film, Form, and culture, New York, McGraw-Hill Companies
Mascelli ,J.V (1976), The Five C’s of Cinematography- Motion Picture Filming Techniques
Simplified, Hollywood, Cine/graphic publications.
WEBSITE
www.video-editing-made-easy.com/camera-angle
Photo credit- shoots.ng
