Audience Positioning by

Audience Postition

2014-01-04 12:54:34 UTC

Throughout the history of film, audiences have always showed more enjoyment when they

are involved or used as a viewpoint one way or another. There are many ways which this is

conveyed including different camera shots, a character asking the audience a question etc.

Involving the audience with a production is more likely to get them hooked and interested

in the story. Whether involving the audience is interactive or through camera shots,

it is sure to make the audience more intrigued. Below and to the right are examples

of how the audience can be incorporated into a film using various camera shots.

2014-01-04 13:00:35 UTC

One camera shot that involves audience positioning is the shot/reverse shot.

This is where the camera alternates between two characters in conversation.

The camera almost acts like a third character observing the conversation.

The audience would feel as if they were that third character with the right editing used.

2014-01-04 13:04:48 UTC

Probably the strongest form of audience positioning when

using camera shots is the form of Point of View. This shot really does

put the audience in the characters shoes as the cameras is positioned

looking around from that characters viewpoint. When the character

is in conversation, the character facing and talking is looking directly

at the camera which looks in the audiences perspective that that

character is looking at them, involving the audience.

2014-01-04 13:10:00 UTC

The reaction shot does also put the audience in a

perspective of a character as

they are seeing a close up of a characters

face reacting to something that has just happened

The use of an extreme close up gets all the characters

reaction and emotion further adding to how the

audience feels as they are looking directly at that character.

In some circumstances, the film makers are not trying to involve the audience

as they are just displaying a characters emotion but in

most situations, they are making the audience feel a part,

displaying a characters reaction and emotion close up.

2014-01-04 13:19:21 UTC

Another form of audience positioning using camera

is over the shoulder shots. This involves the audience

as it shows them to be a third character looking over the

shoulder of one character while they are talking to the other.

This relates to the shot/reverse shot as it is as if the audience

is the third character however it shows them to be standing

behind one character while the are talking to another.