Visual Meaning & Camera Angles

As I begin to learn and understanding the procedures involved when

producing a live-action motion picture; I have been studying different forms of camera angles and also ways of interpreting the visual meanings in which the director is presenting within the frame.

I have learnt that within any given film, the placement of the camera plays a major impact on the way the audience will feel towards the scene. Which is why the director applies appropriate shot types to particular frames within the scene to provide the audience with a certain form of sensation and emotion towards the sequence. The way in which the director chooses to shoot any given scene will play a toll on the way the audience will view the film therefore affecting their judgement of the entire film. 

The film-makers must ultimately be aware of what they wish to show within the frame in order to gain the right response from their audience.

A director can visual present meaning within a frame of their film due to the content within the shot help convey particular ideas to the audience to help them understand and learn aspect of the character or the story. 

An example of showing how a director can present visual meanings within their shot and also highlighting these aspects through the use of key shot types to heighten the visual representation of their story is within a sequence for the film "Full Metal Jacket". Stanley Kubrick creatively uses certain shot types to attract the audience to focus on aspects of the shot to further understand the story and gather information in regards to the characters by depicting symbolical,iconic and indexical signs.

This is an “extra long shot” or “wide shot”; within this scene it is used to establish to the audience where the location of the scene is. This establishing shot also conveys the tone of the scene due to all the soldiers being fixed in position therefore causing the audience to allude to possible outcomes to why they might be in this formation.

Due to the vast amount of space presented within this shot, this allows the audience to be aware of many aspects of the frame such as the amount of subjects within the scene. In addition to aspects included within the frame, this shot effectively uses dull colours which further emphasises on the setting that being of a military location. The use of dull colours connotes the ideas of military life and the seriousness of it.

The director uses a “pan shot” to transition the shot from one location to another which not only causes the audience to focus their attention to the subject walking across the set from one side to the other… But is also walking closer to the camera causing the audience to depict information on the subject but lures the audience towards the privates filling the audience with curiosity and tension as they may learn more information about certain subject through dialogue or visual representation.

Within this “medium shot” the audience is confronted with a closer look at the two subjects within this frame; this is an effective shot due to their clothing and expression reveals information in regards to the characters.

Particularly with the drill-sergeant and by his decorative uniform this clarifies that he is of higher ranking not only through his medals and patches but through his uniform which segregates him from the rest of the men granting him with respect and authority.

This “low angle shot” is deeply effective due to the fact that it emphasises on the drill-sergeant’s power over the private whom he is addressing. Due to the low positioning of the camera it connotes the mental state of the individual who the drill-sergeant is addressing making him feel lower than his sergeant enforcing on the drill-sergeant’s control and menacing character. This shot also plays a toll on the audience effecting their well-being due to the point of view of the shot alluding them to feel as if the drill sergeant is addressing them directing causing the audience to feel a form of discomfort.


This ultimately proves how much of an importance shots are and how various camera angles can vastly impact the audience's emotional response to the scene. Particularly through the use of the sequence from "Full Metal Jacket" I have understood how different camera angles can help captivate the audience's attention to certain visual aspects of the frame and how it plays a toll on how effective a scene may be towards the audience.