Field of View

Camera Location

One of the first decisions a videographer makes on a shoot is where to set the camera. Before settling on a camera location, walk around, explore the possibilities, observe the effects of light and the interaction of foreground, mid-ground, and background to see which vantage point offers the greatest potential. Think of camera location as your first opportunity to simplify the shot by selectively cropping out unwanted visual elements from the frame with the goal of improving subject isolation and emphasis. When shooting in the field, you also need to consider lighting, what time of day you are shooting, and where the sun is located.

Camera Angle

Television reporters and documentary filmmakers routinely shoot from an eye-level angle during interviews because this position offers the least biased view of the subject. Shooting at eye level helps maintain the viewer's perception of a level playing field- where the viewer perceives themselves as an equal participant in the exchange and no one has the upper hand. 

A low-angle shot is one where the camera is placed below the subject's eye-line, creating a sense from the viewer's perspective that they are looking up at the subject.

A high-angle shot is just the opposite, with the camera pointing down from a position above the subject's eye line.

Subject Location

One of the best tips for subject placement is to extend the z-axis as much as possible. Try to position the subject at least six to eight feet away from walls or fixed backdrops. The greater the distance between the subject and background, the more opportunity you will have for composing a pleasing shot with shallow depth of field. Pulling the subject away from walls also helps when focusing lights- for example, giving you more flexibility to position a backlight and a greater opportunity to reduce or eliminate harsh shadows on the wall caused by the subject. Finally, avoid placing the subject in front of a window or other highly reflective surfaces.

Focal Length

The variable focal length lens found on most video camcorders gives you latitude to fine tune your framing- by zooming from a narrow-angle to wide-angle view or to anywhere in between. Ultimately, it's the focal length of the lens that determines what portion of the viewable area of a scene is included in a shot and what is left out.