The predominant angle in motion pictures, this is considered a "neutral" shot. The camera is set at the eye level of a person of average height, and the scene is viewed as it would normally appear to the naked eye.
The high-angle shot looks down on the scene from an angled, overhead vantage point. It is usually accomplished by a camera mounted on a crane. High-angle shots emphasize the setting or scenery and diminish the importance of the actors. They may be used as an adjunct to a storyline in which characters are oppressed or downtrodden.
The low-angle shot looks upwards from 2 to 3 feet off the floor. This angle often conveys an impression of speeded-up motion and induces in the viewer a feeling of confusion or being swept along by the action in a scene. Because it is often only a ceiling or the sky, background and setting recede in importance. A very slight, low-angle camera position may be used to enhance the height of shorter actors.
The bird's-eye angle is the straight-down, "12 o'clock" view from a camera directly overhead. It is an inherently unnatural perspective, as few people ever view a scene from that vantage in reality. Everyday objects and settings appear alien. The bird's-eye places the viewer in the role of an all-seeing supreme being, looking down on the action from a superior position. Individual characters in a bird's-eye shot appear to be less significant and secondary in importance to a larger story.
In an oblique angle, the camera is tilted or even inverted. This is often used in a point-of-view shot in which the camera assumes the role of viewing the action through the eyes of a particular character. Oblique angles may convey a sense of chaos or anxiety in a scene. They may also be used creatively to set a playful mood, as in music videos. Oblique angles are normally shot with a handheld camera.