Does it Matter to be Pictured from Below?

Abstract

Does the way in which a scene is viewed influence the interpretation of the role of the characters that appear in it, and does narrative context influence sensitivity to camera angle? In the linear conditions of the present study, each of 3 stories consisted of a sequence of 5 pictures. Pictures 2 and 3 introduced the 2 characters with either a high-angle, an eye-level, or a low-angle shot. In the random conditions, the 5 pictures were rearranged into a random order. Immediately after viewing each story, the 2 characters were rated on the 3 factors of Osgood's semantic differential (Evaluation, Potency, & Activation). Thereafter, an acceptable end to each of the 3 stories was to be chosen on a multiple-choice questionnaire. The results show a significant effect of the camera angle on the factor "Potency" under the linear condition: A low-angle shot elicited more potency. In addition, for one of the 3 stories in which the 2 characters were engaged in a common activity (chess playing), there was a significant difference on the choice of the probable ends as a function of camera position: The character, presented with a low-angle shot, was perceived as the winning player.

Effect of Camera Angle on Perception of Trust and Attractiveness

“…Kraft found that low angles produced an image of strength, action, and superiority; eye-level shots produced parity; and high angles created impressions of weakness, passivity, and insignificance. In a similar design, Sevenants and d’Ydewalle (2006) showed that a low-angle shot elicited significantly more potency (which was also found by Mandell & Shaw, 1973; but not by Meridian, 1987).…”

“…Two studies have looked at the interaction of narrative and camera angle (Kraft, 1987;Sevenants & d'Ydewalle, 2006). Kraft (1987) showed participants six short-four-picture stories, for example, ''The Encounter'' (two dogs greet each other) or ''The Dented Car'' (a man and a woman are involved in a mild car accident).…”

“…Despite these conventions found in basic textbooks and theoretical literature on film, comparatively few empirical studies have been conducted to evaluate the effect of vertical camera angle on perception. Most of the existing studies have focused on source credibility of television speakers (Avery & Long, 1976; McCain, Chilberg, & Wakshlag, 1977; McCain & Wakshlag, 1974; Tiemens, 1970) or have measured Osgood’s semantic differential for evaluation, potency, and activation (Avery & Long, 1976; Mandell & Shaw, 1973; Meridian, 1987; Sevenants & d’Ydewalle, 2006). They have found some evidence for an effect of camera angle on the viewer’s perception.…”

Danger, Sex, and Everything Else

“…As conceptualized by film theorists, camera angle has a linear effect according to which straight angles are neutral, low angles emphasize power, and high angles indicate weakness (Giannetti, 1999). Such linearity has been supported by multiple experimental studies with high and low angles exhibiting opposing effects on power (Giessner et al, 2011; Kraft, 1987; Mandell & Shaw, 1973; Sevenants & d’Ydewalle, 2006), as well as other dimensions such as credibility (Avery & Long, 1976; Tiemens, 1970) and favorability (Meyers-Levy & Peracchio, 1992). However, there is also evidence to the contrary, with some studies have found that both high and low angles decrease perceived trustworthiness (Baranowski & Hecht, 2018), and that the pattern is rather disparate and non-linear when considering the degree of angle (Kepplinger & Donsbach, 1987).…”

“…However, the question of how form interacts with content remains largely unexplored because the stimuli employed in previous experiments have been of limited variability. This is particularly true for camera angle studies, where stimuli range from monologues, lectures, or newscasts (Avery & Long, 1976; Baranowski & Hecht, 2018; Mandell & Shaw, 1973; Reeves et al, 1992; Tiemens, 1970), to representations of everyday events (Kraft, 1987; Sevenants & d’Ydewalle, 2006), and images of objects (Meyers-Levy & Peracchio, 1992). Although some studies on camera distance have used more emotionally complex stimuli (Bálint et al, 2020; Canini et al, 2011; Mutz, 2007), they have typically used few or single message designs, with the exception of Canini et al (2011), who did include messages from a larger emotional spectrum but found a reversed relationship between closeness and emotional arousal.…”