Camera Angles

High angle:

       For this angle the camera is positioned above the subject with a crane or other piece of suitable equipment. It is often used to show that the subject is inferior to another person or thing. For example, in 'Psycho' by Alfred Hitchcock a high angle shot is used to show that the detective is inferior to the killer, as he is stabbed and then pushed down the stairs. It's also foreshadowing, as the audience can't see his point of view, which makes them suspicious as to what is about to happen.

Upside down angle:

       In this angle the camera often starts with the subject being upside down and the shot being right side up. As the shot progresses the camera rotates so that the subject is right side up, instead of the shot (or sometimes the other way around). In 'The Dark Knight' this is used to show how the audience are slowly becoming acclimatised to the Joker's logic. It also presents the Joker in a strange way, making his mental condition apparent on the outside. However, in 'The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo' this angle is used to show the twisted mental state of one of the main characters (by moving from the character being right side up to upside down).

Canted angle (Dutch Tilt):

       This camera angle is often used in MTV music videos to create an interesting and dramatic effect. This angle was used extensively in the film 'The Third Man' to show the main character's alienation from a foreign environment. With the horizon of the shot being tilted the audience feels slightly disorientated, possibly as the character would, so that they can empathise with them.

Worm's eye view:

       The worm's eye view is the counterpart to the bird's eye view shot. It's often used during a dream sequence or a character's thought track, as it's a relaxing thing to look up at the sky. In James Cameron's 'Avatar' this shot is used to show the point of view of Grace, who is dying. The shot symbolises her soul leaving her body and joining the other souls in the tree of life.

Noddy shot:

       A Noddy shot usually shows an interviewer reacting to the interviewee. Although this isn't commonly used in films, the 'Scream' franchise use this to show how the media play a key part in the films (particularly in 'Scream 4').

Zolly shot:

       The zolly shot (dolly zoom) requires the camera to be rigged to some kind of dolly track. As the camera moves forwards on the track, you zoom out, creating this weird separation extending effect. To make an effective zolly shot you must zoom out at the same speed as the camera tracks in. In 'Vertigo' by Alfred Hitchcock, this shot is used to portray how Scottie (the main character) is afraid of heights. It looks as if the stairs are extending, making him seem higher up than he actually is.

"Attached" angle:

       I'm not 100% sure what the official name for a shot like this is, but I'm referring to when a camera is attached to a moving object to create a strange sense of movement. In this picture above it shows a man playing a brass instrument. He has attached a camera to the end of his instrument so that when he plays it the camera moves dramatically forwards and backwards. This is more often used in music videos than films, however.