High-Angle Shot Explained

Modern filmmakers use a wide variety of camera shots to elicit emotion including the point-of-view shot (POV), close-up shot, over-the-shoulder shot, extreme long shot, and extreme wide shot. One particularly effective camera angle to put on your shot list is the high-angle shot.

What Is a High-Angle Shot?

A high-angle shot is a camera angle where the camera films a subject from slightly above. This type of shot creates a narrative sense of submissiveness and vulnerability because it appears as though the viewer is looking down on the subject of the shot from a higher vantage point. High-angle shots appear frequently in filmmaking.

4 Types of High-Angle Shots

Directors and cinematographers employ many types of high-angle shots in the filmmaking process. Consider the common examples of high-angle shots taught in film schools and used in real-world cinematography.

Narrative high-angle shot: These shots provide information to the audience that may not be reflected in the dialogue. By angling the camera downward from a high point, the director can fill the shot with more visual cues than might be available in an eye-level shot.

Character-driven high-angle shot: Characters take on new meaning when shot from different camera points. Characters filmed head-on from a high angle may seem weak or submissive. Characters filmed from behind at a high angle may seem mysterious. The power dynamics invert on low angle shots, which often make a character look powerful.

Visceral high-angle shot: These types of camera shots are typically designed to elicit a strong emotional reaction or sense of unease in a viewer. Certain vantage points—like straight down from the side of a tall building—can invoke sensations of fear, disorientation, or even comedy. This is somewhat different from a bird’s eye view shot, which offers sweeping views from high up and is often used as an establishing shot to provide a sense of place.

Wide high-angle shot: Filmmakers can combine a high-angle shot with different shot sizes. A wide high-angle shot lets a director insert more information into a shot and can minimize overall camera movements Some pre production storyboards notably show scenes using high, wide-shot frames to squeeze in background information.