Unique and unusual camera angles make far more interesting visuals. Compelling visuals are the heart of a great video.
So how do you develop an eye for great camera angles?
First, be observant and look for unusual perspectives. Anything other than standard height from a standard vantage point will be perceived as unique by viewers.
Now, having said that, let's not go overboard. Unless you are doing something off-the-wall, most of your video will be made from standard angles. Standard height, normal perspective. The unusual angles should be like spices in a stew, used for a dash of flavor not an overload.
Whenever I shoot video, I concentrate first on standard angels. Wide shots, medium shots and close ups from logical and natural looking angles. Once I have an adequate amount of standard stuff, THEN, I go for some unusual angles.
The height of the camera is an easy way to get an unusual angle. People are used to seeing the world from a height of 5 to 6 feet. So anything other than that will be an unusual perspective.
Sit on the floor and shoot from there. Get up on a table or roof and shoot from there. Looking up at somebody with a camera makes them look huge and powerful. Looking down on someone makes them look small and weak. How extreme of an angle you choose depends on how much you want this affect. Just a touch of a high angle will make someone look a bit small (and a bit thinner!), but taping them from thirty feet above their head can make them look utterly powerless.
Go Somewhere Unusual!
Incredibly interesting camera angles and shots come when you tuck the camera inside some place a person could never go. Is your character checking the mail? Stick the camera inside the mailbox. A character opening up the fridge? Stick the camera in the middle of a pile of leftovers. Got a kid reaching into his backpack? Put the camera in the backpack. Tiny video cameras can go just about anywhere. If you put the camera where a person never goes, then the resulting shot will be a unique vantage point.
Another tip for getting great shots is to look around for cool-looking things to place in the foreground. Try to find something that adds meaning. Can you put a pile of paperwork in the foreground of your wide side shot of the busy executive? That will help emphasize what she is doing.
Unusual camera angles are a lot of fun. It might help to study award winning still pictures to get a good sense of what makes an interesting shot. Studying great still photography is sometimes the best way to learn this aspect of video production because a still picture is just that...still. That makes it easier to evaluate.
Giving the audience an unusual perspective is a great method of creative visual storytelling. All it takes is a bit of effort and the ability to "see" things from uncommon angels and perspectives. ( Lorraine Grula )