Objective and Subjective View
By using objective and subjective camera angles you can do the one thing that every filmmaker wants to do with their audience… Grab and hold the audience's attention!
One way to draw the audience into the story is to give the audience unique views of the scene.
Objective and subjective camera angles (in combination with the other angles) can be used to do this.
You can create impact and real emotional reaction in your audience just by your choice of camera positioning and placement.
By using different camera angles (combined with editing) you can set a mood or tone that will help the viewer better understand and feel a part of the emotional environment presented to them from one scene to another.
If done expertly - your audience will be emotionally involved and feel like they're " right there" in the flow and action of the video.
The Objective view.
The objective view (angle) is the most common view you will see in a movie.
Objective Angle camera shot
This is the exterior "observers" point of view.
This angle gives your audience a viewpoint of being in the scene as though they were part of the action but also are "safely removed", as though they were there "invisible".
The illusion is that the audience is like a "fly on the wall" and that the characters cannot see them.
This illusion is maintained as long as the actors never look directly at and/or directly speak to the camera lens.
"Fourth Wall"
The thin line that exists between a story and reality. When a character in a story tells the audience in some way that they know that they are a character in a story, that is called 'breaking the fourth wall'.
Urban dictionary
If an actor were to do this (called in acting breaking the "fourth wall"), then the audience is no longer an exterior observer watching the scene from a distance but are now "in" the movie themselves and part of the scene.
This is not to say however that there are some filmmakers that haven't done this for effect.
The fourth wall
Just watch some of the old "Road" movies with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby and you'll see that breaking this illusion can be done with great comedic effect.
The Subjective view.
In the subjective view the audience sees the scene as though they were looking through the eyes of the subject.
Camera angles subjective view
Subjective Angle camera shot
This device gives the audience the illusion that they are the character in the scene and not just looking at it from an exterior view.
They are now not only part of the action – they are the character in the action.
Being in the subjective view means the audience is not able to "know" or see "everything" that's happening in the scene (as they are in the objective view) which can create mystery, danger and/or tension for the audience.
The subjective view is used much less than the objective view as this view can be disorienting to the audience if it is not used and edited correctly.
But, if it is used correctly, it can be a powerful plot device.
Trunk shot camera angle
Horror films make great use of this device to build anxiety and tension.
It can be used to shock or disorient the audience by rapid intercutting with objective shots.
Alfred Hitchcock was a master at using this device and anyone who wants to use the shot properly would do well to watch his movies.
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