Camera Height_High Angle

A high angle shot is any shot in which the camera is tilted downward to view the subject. Any downward angling of the camera should be considered a high angle shot, regardless of whether the camera is angled slightly to photograph the top of a package, or almost vertically downward to depict a mountain climber's point of view!

The picture is from The Incredibles made by Pixar in 2004.

A high angle shot may be chosen for esthetic, technical or psychological reasons. Placing the camera higher than the subject and looking down may result in a more artistic picture; make it easier to keep action occurring in depth in sharp focus; or influence audience reaction.

Subject matter laid out in a pattern upon the ground may look better from a high angle. High angle shots help acquaint the audience with the geography of the setting. Looking down provides a map like layout. For instance, looking at the picture below which is from Fallen Art made by Tomek Baginski in 2003.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46QaOikFYhM. This is a high angle shot, which could help us understand their position relationship.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46QaOikFYhM

Action occurring in depth, such as a football game, a military formation, a producion line or an animal migration, may be viewed in its entirety from a high angle. Raising the camera and shooting downward is also useful whenever reducing the lens depth of field aids in keeping sharp focus across the entire picture area. A high angle may cover the same front-to-back area with difference between near-and-far focus. Looking at another picture from Fallen Art, we can focus on the frame picture easily and understand the structure of the machine, as well as how it works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46QaOikFYhM

However high angle shots reduce the height of a player or object. A tall player would lookdown at a shorter person or a child in a point-of-view shot. The subjective camera may also place the audience higher, so that it may look down on a player to feel superior to him.

High angle shots are a welcome departure from eye-level shots and provide contrast, variety and dramatic impact even to commonplace scenes. High angles should be considered to establish the story, supply pictorial beauty, or influence audience reaction to the screen players.

Reference:

Mascelli, J. V. (1965). The Five C's of  Cinematography. The United States: radstone publications.

The first picture is from The.Incredibles made by Pixar in 2004.

The second and the third pictures are from Fallen Art made by Tomek Baginski in 2003.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46QaOikFYhM

Camera Height_Level Angle

While camera height is as important as camera distance and subject angle, It is often disregarded. Theatrical cameramen are very careful about lens height in relation to subject matter. Many non-theatrical cameramen completely overlook the subject's special requirements!

Artistic, dramatic and psychological overtones may be contributed to the story-telling by adjusting the height of the camera to the subject. Audience involvement and reaction to the event depicted may be influenced by whether the scene is viewed from eye-level, or above or below subject.

Level Angle

A level camera films from the eye-level of an observer of average height, or from the subject's eye-level. A level camera views a setting or an object so that vertical lines do not converge.

Shorts filmed with a level camera are generally less interesting than those filmed from an upward or downward angle. A level camera is required, however, whenever eye-level views are filmed, or vertical lines must remain vertical and parallel to each other. A level camera does not distort verticals, so walls and sides of buildings, or objects, will remain true.

Objective shots, which present the view as seen by an observer, should be filmed from the eye-level of an average person- about five and one-half feet high. It is important, however, that close-ups of a person be filmed from the subject's eye-level, whether standing or sitting, so that the audience sees the person on an eye-to-eye basis. It is necessary, therefore, when moving in from a long or medium shot to a close-up, to adjust the camera height to the particular subject being filmed.

The picture is from The.Incredibles made by Pixar in 2004

Point-of-view close-ups are filmed from the subject's eye-level when the players who are relating with each other are approximately the same height. They are filmed from the opposing player's height when a difference in height exists, or when one player is seated and the other standing, or when an adult relates with a child. Such angling need not be precisely from the opposing person's head position.

The picture is from The.Incredibles made by Pixar in 2004

Subjective close-ups, in which the subject looks directly into the lens, are always filmed from the eye-level of the person photographed. A higher or lower camera will cause the person to look up or down in order to look into the lens- and thus create an awkward relationship with the viewer. The person presented subjectively should always be seen on a level eye-to-eye basis.

The picture is from The.Incredibles made by Pixar in 2004

Reference:

Mascelli, J. V. (1965). The Five C's of  Cinematography. The United States: radstone publications.

The pictures are from The.Incredibles made by Pixar in 2004.

Short Introduction of My Script

In 2084, Humans have been exploring the Milky Way outside. I am a captain of a cargo ship, which belongs to NO. 007 Earth Defending Army and my task is to recycle space junk over there. One day I found an UFO suddenly. I had never seen such a strange spacecraft and I thought the driver must be an alien from an advanced civilization race. After a series of bizarre absurd stories between us, I took it go back to the earth successfully. However he is the experimental product sent to the space by the Earth scientists, to be researched his physiological changes when he lived there. Unfortunately I broke it... ... This is an ironical story that the humans are teased by their science and technology development.

This is the main character

Motion Capture Class

This is the motion capture class. I am the model and there are 27 tracking points on my body as well as 12 cameras around me.

It is a kind of motion capture technique which could help us finish data collection, processing and management. It provides the interface to numerous Three-dimentional software and hardware system. 

Motion capture technology involved in size measurement, object orientation in physical space and position determination etc data which could be calculated by computer directly.

Setting tracker in key parts of the moving object, the system will capture tracker position, then after computer's translation, passing data to the users which could be recognized in animation. In the past people use 3D animation software(3ds max, Maya) to create the character and modulate role action(key frame animation) which will reduce its efficiency and easily make error. However, motion capture could make the action accurately and efficiently as It records the real motion. I will use such a technology for a character in my short film.

Reference：

http://baike.baidu.com/view/4505652.htm

Character_1

bones and controller

The script- The Guest- Part 3

However when I try to befriend with the guest further, the master computer is alarming again. I am glancing radar monitor impatiently and I find there is a huge UFO close to us. I am so scared.

I look out of the window quickly and then go back to the control panel. My hands are trembling. I try to keep calm down. Several seconds later, I rotate a grey button to raise radar resolution. Actually, that is a huge aircraft whose main part is a big sphere. Its diameter is about 50 meters with a high power laser weapon on top of it.

I pull the guest out from those foods in a hurry and put it on the console. “Is it for you?” I am pointing to the screen.

At the moment, the guest may be even more nervous than me, he directly jumping into a red button. (The word “attacking” is on the button.) Fortunately I stop him in time and then I relax down.

Apparently the guest has understood my mean and jumps into the front of radar screen looking at that big subject and meditating

Facing the screen for a while, I make a big decision that I will escape as I have to bring the guest to the earth safely. I can not imagine how long I can keep if that big guy attack my spaceship. (The image is my imagination of suffering a strong attack.)

However my spaceship runs slowly and that big sphere is tracking us firmly all the time. I despair of it, sitting on the chair. In order to protect the guest, I put him on the side of its can spaceship and shaking hands to him for sending-off. But he just jumps there instead of entering the cab. Maybe he does not want to leave me alone. I am touched by our friendship. I wipe tears from my eyes with an unspeakable joy in my heart…

For a moment, I suddenly understand…

"You mean... take it like this?" I look at his spaceship and put my two fists strongly bump together. The guest jumps more exciting. I understand hurriedly and put the can spaceship into the ammunition storehouse, then adjust the angle to the target again and again as we have only one chance. There could not be any mistake.

With clicking on the button, there is a regiment dazzling light shining in the open space. The huge sphere is disappearing completely.

Finally we go back to the earth safety and after three days I receive the instruction:

“The corporal #007, belonging to Transportation Department of Logistics, The Northern Galaxy Fifth Fleet, plundered the universe test drift cabin without any authorization, which seriously destructed the research on ‘The Biological and Psychological Reaction in Enclosed Space around Black Hole’ by The Central Academy of Sciences. Moreover, you feed the experimental organism by corruption foods making him dead which made all of scientific data acquisition work failure. Seriously, you destroyed the data tracking satellite following the drift cabin which made a huge waste on property and resource. So we decide to stop all of corporal #007‘s duties immediately, waiting for the further treatment.”

The script- The Guest- Part 2

Oh my god! I quickly make a standard salute to it and then I adjust the hand gesture slightly in order to be photographed more handsome by that monitor. After all it is the historic occasion that human contact with the civilization outside of the Milky Way. “I am the big man and people will remember me for ever.“ (This is my imagination that I wear Military uniform with lots of medals. Varies of flash are constantly flickering in the black background and I am smiling just like a hero.)

That creature is panic and swaying its body uneasily. Maybe he does not understand my intension. Hurriedly I take it off from driver’s seat and put it in front of my eyes.

“Sir, please do not worry, I won’t hurt you although we are the different races. Trust me. If you have any diplomatic mission going to the earth, I am pleased to be with you. Of course if you want to mend your spaceship I will try my best.” (I speak aloud using a special language…######. I am so excited. The translation of those words will be on the screen.)

But there is no reaction. It just looks at me, like thinking about something. (The camera is close-up on its eyes and my body is reflected on them. It blinks sometimes and shakes its head slightly).

“Oh my god, there must be some problems with the life-maintenance system of your spaceship. I will prepare some food for you.”

I order the nanny robot to move all of the food from the storage room to the command module as I really do not know its taste. Obviously it is hungry that it even puts corruptive food into its mouth. I am surprised. Maybe its digestion system has achieved a higher level that could digest any organic matter.

“May I have a look at your spaceship”? (I put forward my request carefully and there are different kinds of expressions changing on my face to proof of my sincerity). At the same time I order the robot to bring some soft drink for him. Several seconds later he is still eating edaciously and does not refuse me. Then I begin to look over such a sophisticated spaceship to appreciate its design and function. (The camera is close-up and moves slowly for describing the spaceship).

……

I am surprised as there is not any weapon of self-defense equipment inside, the only equipment is a communication instrument. It looks like a can without gravity traction system.

“Maybe this race has evolved to Power of Thought Drive. He is the spaceship and the spaceship is him”. Oh my God!

As a professionally trained military pilot, I have visited a lot of extraterrestrial civilizations and understand them more or less. However I am greatly shocked when I see the inner pilot.

Its appearance is not quite abnormal as at least it has an outline. Even the liquid biological creatures have been conformed by our military and what else could scare current human? But I was frightened.

I can not believe it is just less than ten inches tall. Although I have imagined it definitely will not be a big guy according to its small airship. There are two ears on the top of its head which are almost bigger than its face. Most outstanding is its two incisors out of mouth which makes him in high spirits. It also has a metal circle around its head which is connected with a lot of electrodes and other machines. It is similar to an America hamster belonged to my little niece.

No matter how its appearance looks like, even it is a piece of amoeba, it is also a guest from an extraterrestrial civilization. I hurriedly call for master computer opening interpreter and get ready to speak to it. However the loudspeaker above the big screen tells me peacefully: “there is no corresponding racial language in data system.”

There are all of racial languages saved in that violent computer within the Milky Way. So it is possibly a civilization outside of the Milky Way!

The script- The Guest- Part 1

I do not know how long I have slept in the shuttle. Suddenly I am awakened up by the nanny robot. It takes me out of the life cabin and puts me on the front of control panel.

Several red words are flashing frequently on the screen which symbolizes the highest alarm" there is an unidentified object appearing nearby. Shooting down, shooting down!"  

Although I am a soldier; I have patriotic passion; I have the courage to eliminate anything which would menace the security of human life. However I can not agree with the suggestion by that handicapped computer. Since my airship is... A cargo ship! (I am looking out of the window and the camera move from close-up at me to long shot of the spaceship. The word "cargo ship" is on it.)

How could those engineers set up such a bloodthirsty violent computer for me? Maybe at that time they putted too much attention on the war and only have the operating system of destroyers. Actually, this trial task will be less than a week and I totally need not the life cabin. However when it suggested me at the 45^th times to attack small meteorites passing us I have to hide into the life cabin. Generally speaking, during the war age, the life cabin will be forced open just only if the airship suffers deadly strike in order to allow pilots having enough time to leave their last words. Apparently that computer stick to shoot down something else to wreak even it is dangerous for its host's safety.

If there are some alien armed ships patrolling and it mistakenly thinks that being attacked, a tentative blowing would make me disappear immediately. I can not be so stupid to make myself in danger just for computer’s fun. So I will still be silent.

To turn off the alarm and open global radar, I want to have a look what object is so unlucky that being treated as prey by the master computer this time, is it a big brick on the tramp or garbage bag chunked out by other airship.

Radar surveying as well as mapping image are molding quite quickly and the picture on the screen greatly surprises me. Unimaginable, there is large can floating in the air where is about 20000 meters away. I rubbed my eyes and watch the screen carefully again. It is true!

I can not believe the Coca-Cola Company has the ability to put their advertisement and propaganda into such a remote place. So I zoom in the radar resolution and then I find that cylindrical object actually is a standard space vehicle.

Probably that aircraft has something problem, I think.

Based on the principle of peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit, I decide to help it and this is also the purpose why the superior gives me this errand.

Once the Earth Military researches some new ships, they will always go into outer space as the name of circle cruise trials in order to show off. Despite of imaginings, gradually we have close to it. I operate the airship to open its three doors of recycling capsule respectively. Four manipulators firmly dragged it into spacecraft and the nanny robot pulls it to me after radiation disinfection.

As a space vehicle, I have never seen such a small product and delicate design. The whole cylinder is approximately 80cm in diameter, 200cm in length. The appearance is smooth and there is nothing protuberant on it, emitting light metal glow from the dark command module.  Surprisingly there is completely without any power nozzles device. Does not it use gravity transformation traction system?

I totally can not believe it since the Emergency Asylum System will consume a large number of energy sources and how could it solve the problem in such a small metal can. Obviously, it must be in an advanced civilization which is absolutely beyond the earth science and technology level.

I lightly knock the surface of this small airship which also should be the universal greeting language as same as nod. However after several times there is nothing reactive in it. I wait patiently for a while and there is also no reaction. I am nervous and afraid of pilot’s safety. Does not it have died? Immediately I look for some tools to pry the shuttle's hatch whereas there is nothing useful expect for a screwdriver less than three inches long. I order the robot to pen but it totally can not understand my means since there are only “repair” and “take care” in its system menu. It is really stupid to speak to a machine.

I find it is hard to cope with this higher civilization device with my limited intellectual level. Maybe I stay in the airtight spacecraft too long and have got mild space anxiety disorders. In repeatedly tried and failed I give the cylinder strong kicks. It could be I touched something on it and suddenly the hatch is opening.