What would you do to get the shot?

When it comes down to it, it's not about what camera is used to obtain a shot but what the actual shot is of. Many filmmakers go the distance by sending their cameras into the air, under water, or even attaching it to their pet. But this filmmaker has to take the cake. Having stumbled upon a rattlesnake pit, they attached their GoPro to a stick and dove in to receive some amazing footage. 

As you can see these reptilian beasts reacted surprisingly well to camera for a bit, but eventually started to strike. I've never seen any sort of footage of the sorts.

It felt like a horror film as they began to attack the camera, but nonetheless the technology that we have at our fingertips these days is what enables this sort of filming making. A camera attached to a stick is all it took to enter this rattler nest and that hockey stick is what also enable the filmmaker to get it out after it fell off its mount.

It's because of the accessibility of this sort of technology that results with these immersive videos. It makes you not only wonder if the camera operator is crazy but also how you can take a simple set up and capture something brilliant. You won't be finding me near a snake pit like this anytime soon but I definitely will take the concept of this video and apply it to my work. Live the moment and think outside the box because this may just be the reason you walk away from a day of filming with a viral video.

Camera Angles and Movements

     When setting up a shot and shooting something the camera operator or DP always has to be aware of what is in the shot and how the shot will be perceived. Using different camera angles and camera movements will have a wide range of psychological affects on the audience. First lets compare the difference between a zoom in and a dolly.

Zoom:
     Zooming in on a camera is the act of changing the focal length of the camera lens during a shot. Going from a wide shot to a close up of a character creates a dramatic feel. The zoom makes the object in the shot appear to grow in size and look as if it is coming towards the audience. Another affect the zoom has is that it will simply crop out other objects and people in the shoots. With a zoom in shot the positions of objects and people also do not change relative to the movement. These two effects, objects getting cut from the frame, and objects positions not changing relative to the camera "movement", create a very artificial feel.

Dolly:

     A dolly in or out is similar to a zoom in or out in the sense that by the end of the shot the subject will be closer or farther from the screen. However the action behind dollying the and zooming the camera are different and create a different feel for the audience. Where the zoom shot adjusts the lens to change the focal length a dolly shot physically moves the camera. This is a much more dynamic shot for the viewer because it is the actual feel of what it is naturally like for peoples vision. The dolly gives the audience the feeling of moving toward the subject instead of the subject moving to the audience. The objects in a dolly shot don't feel as though they are getting cropped out of frame, but rather that the viewer is moving past them. A dolly shot also creates a better feeling of having dimension on the z-axis as background objects do not just appear to get larger with the foreground, but rather move in perspective to the subject.

Video Comparing Zoom In and Dolly In

Some Camera Angles:

     Shooting Upward/Downward At Subject:

          A very basic trick that is used in movies and television is angling the camera upward or downward to make the audience perceive a character one way or another. Shooting from a low angle and looking upward at the character makes the character appear to be larger than life and seem very powerful and dominate.

Low Angle Shot

          And obviously a high angle shot where the camera is pointed down at the subject does the opposite by making the subject appear week and insignificant.

High Angle Shot

     Dutch Shot:

            This is a type of shot in which the camera is tilted to one side and makes it look diagonal. This shot displays an uneasy feeling and high tension of the subject in the shot.  

Dutch Angle