From the course: Video Production and Post Tips

When to use a point-of-view shot

From the course: Video Production and Post Tips

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When to use a point-of-view shot

- Hi, my name's Rich Harrington. - And I'm Robbie Carman. - And this week, we're gonna to tackle an issue that faces a lot of productions. And that is really drawing the audience into the scene. Making them feel like they're a part of it. And we do this through a point-of-view shot. - [Robbie] That's right, Rich. The point-of-view shot in the classical sense is giving the audience the perspective of the person involved in the story. It may be that you have a killer in a horror movie chasing a victim down a hall. Or it might be that you're a fuzzy little animal running through the forest and you want to have that perspective. Either way, the point-of-view shot gives a different, sort of, perspective to the audience that makes them feel a little bit more involved in the shot. - [Rich] What we're trying to do is make a more immersive experience whether you're producing a training film, a documentary, a news piece. The point-of-view shot is very powerful. Now sometimes, a point-of-view shot is used to reveal a character or mask an identity. We see what's happening but we don't know whose eyes we're seeing through. Other times, it's a great reverse. Sometimes for product shots or you'll see this in commercials. We'll see from inside the microwave or out through the mailbox slot. There's all sorts of cool things that we can do to tell a story. Pulling off a point-of-view shot requires a small camera. And these days it's interesting. We're seeing people using smartphones. This 4K camera that can shoot higher frame rates. It's cool. - Yep. - We got new GoPro's that are really tiny. - [Robbie] That's right, Rich. Cameras like this GoPro Session are invaluable for getting a point-of-view shot. And there's definitely different ways to mount cameras like this so you can even make them invisible in the scene. - Now, there are lots of places to mount cameras. We're gonna explore that in just a second. But one of the things that really matters these days is what resolution you capture.

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