What is a high-angle shot, and how does it work?
Learn what high-angle shots are, how they work, and what the best examples look like.
We’ll cover:
- What is a high-angle shot?
- Why do filmmakers use high-angle shots?
- How do filmmakers use high-angle shots?
- What are the different types of high-angle shots?
- What equipment do you need to film a high-angle shot?
What is a high-angle shot?
A high-angle shot is a filmmaking technique that places the camera above the subject, looking down on them. These shots range from shallow angles just above eye level to expansive, almost bird’s-eye perspectives. Because the definition is so broad, high-angle shots are regularly combined with other camera shots and angles.
Why do filmmakers use high-angle shots?
High-angle shots serve several core purposes: to build narrative cues, suggest a power imbalance, create a sense of unreal magic, and evoke deep, emotional reactions. Even if it’s just there to look stylish, a high-angle shot makes viewers feel something. Check out the below, from Steven Spielberg’s Artificial Intelligence, to see how the high-angle shot brings a scene to life.
Shallower, slight high-angle shots reveal information in a more restrained way. In contrast, extreme, near-ninety-degree high-angle shots demand an immediate reaction from the viewer. While the emotions expressed through high-angle shots are usually negative, they can be used to express positive feelings, like surprise and awe.
How do filmmakers use high-angle shots?
Let’s break down how high-angle shots are used to build narrative cues, suggest a power imbalance, create a sense of unreal magic, and evoke strong emotions.
High-angle shots for narrative cues
Narrative high-angle shots help viewers parse information more easily and give them a sense of the story. They’re usually shallow, as they’re trying to inform the viewer rather than stir a strong reaction. Let’s take the first few minutes of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, which uses high-angle tracking shots that also work as establishing shots.
The camera follows the car down isolated rural roads, twisting and turning, throwing in a little lens flare for good measure. Coupled with the eerie Dies Irae playing in the background, it gives the impression of something being wrong. Even if the viewer doesn’t know anything about the plot, those high angles make it clear that the car isn’t driving anywhere nice.
While The Shining’s high-angle sequence sets the story up for sheer terror, that’s not the only narrative trick these shots pull. High-angle shots are great for overseeing epic battles, busy streets, and other scenes where the visual scope can show what’s happening.
High-angle shots to suggest a power imbalance
High-angle shots can create imposing images when pairing two subjects, establishing a clear power dynamic as one subject “looks down” on the other. If you remember being a kid, you’ll remember that everyone felt huge. That’s what Carol Reed does in this iconic scene from Oliver!.
The high-angle shot down onto Oliver Twist suggests that he’s physically smaller than Mr. Bumble, and that he’s in a position of weakness. Both these things are true, as he’s just a child trying to ask for some more food. When the camera flips to a low-angle shot, we see Mr. Bumble towering over what can only be Oliver’s perspective. Stacking the high- and low-angle shots clearly demonstrates who’s in control.
High-angle shots to build a sense of magic
High-angle shots can be used to express positive emotions, like a sense of awe. Take the famous Brachiosaurus scene from Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. It switches from a low-angle shot, which frames Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant as tiny compared to the dinosaur. When the shot transitions to a high angle, the audience feels the wonder, the scale of it all, as Ellie and Alan try to comprehend the dinosaur towering above them.
High-angle shots to evoke deep, personal reactions
High-angle shots can draw out deep, personal feelings. These can be negative emotions attached to the subject, like shame or guilt; or positive, like a close, romantic connection.
They can also throw these feelings onto the audience. Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo uses extreme high-angle shots and zoomed dolly shots — or “zolly” shots — to visualize John Ferguson’s fear of heights and sense of vertigo. But the angles are so extreme, they leave the viewer with an unpleasant aftertaste.
What are the different types of high-angle shots?
High-angle shots can be combined with shots like Dutch angles, wide shots, tracking shots, and more to create something fresh. Let’s look at some of the more popular high-angle variants.
High Dutch angle
Popularized in the 1920s, off-axis “Dutch” angles make footage feel unbalanced and strange. Nailing the shot from a high angle makes it feel even more unsettling. It’s the perfect device for something like Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which is about two friends under the influence of drugs. Dutch angles already make the footage feel dangerous, while the high angle hammers home how out of control they are.
High-angle push shot
A push-in physically “pushes” the camera through the scene, rather than zooming. Combined with a high-angle shot, a push-in can emphasize sensations like the feeling of falling, or a high-stakes emotional reaction.
High-angle zoom
High-angle zooms are great for broadcasting a character’s innermost thoughts. As we touched on earlier, these are usually negative feelings like shame, guilt, and confusion.
Dobby’s scenes in the Harry Potter series are a prime example. Much of Dobby’s screen time is shot from a high angle, as he’s a house elf; the wizards and witches view him as “less than,” both physically and socially. The below high-angle zoom shows Dobby feeling ashamed, as he’s just been caught lying to Harry.
High-angle wide shot
Wide shots can establish location and make subjects feel “lost.” A high angle gives these shots an even more vast aesthetic.
High-angle tracking shot
Paired with tracking shots, high angles create a sense of being “watched.” Like the example from The Shining we mentioned earlier, this helps establish location and tone.
Bird’s-eye high-angle shots
While not technically at a bird’s-eye angle of 90 degrees, extreme or visceral high angles do a similar job: they place the viewer on top of the subject. Often achieved with a crane or drone, these shots emphasize a subject’s “smallness” without switching between low- and high-angle perspectives.
High-angle crane shot
Crane shots — also known as jib shots — performed at a high angle help the viewer understand the scale of a scene. High-angle crane shots are favorites in historical epics, as they can sweep across battlefields, ancient cities, and long-lost monuments. The first battle from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is a best-in-class example.
What equipment do you need to film a high-angle shot?
To film a high-angle shot, you’ll need a drone, gimbal, ladder, or something similar to give you a height advantage. Unless you’re extremely tall, let’s explore the options.
- Gimbal: Handheld, versatile, and affordable, the gimbal gives you the stability to shoot close-quarters high-angle shots.
- Crane: Perfect for large-scale high-angle shots, or extreme, near-bird’s-eye variants.
- Drone: The ideal equipment for sweeping high-angle shots that track the subject across a long distance.
- On-set elevation: A staircase. A cliff face. The back of a truck. If it works for your shoot, it’s worth trying.
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Frequently asked questions about high-angle shots
What’s the difference between a high-angle shot and bird’s-eye view?
Bird’s-eye shots — also known as overhead shots — are captured from a ninety-degree angle, directly downward, while high-angle shots are captured from a shallower angle. Some high-angle shots are close to bird’s-eye shots, and deliver a similar effect.
What’s the opposite of a high-angle shot?
The opposite of a high-angle shot is a low-angle shot. Rather than frame the subject from above, a low-angle shot captures them from below their eyeline.
What does a high-angle shot convey to the audience?
A high-angle shot usually conveys feelings of uncertainty, fear, or a power imbalance. It can also show the audience positive emotions, like hope and wonder.
Do you need a crane for high-angle shots?
You can use a crane, drone, ladder, or gimbal to compose high-angle shots. You can even use on-set elevation, like staircases or high vantage points, to get the shot.
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