Get low low low low low low (angle)

[morgan_moore]

Sam: You are, as always, a mad scientist! Interesting concept to think about.

Part mad science, part not as is happens every day in stills world, where the tech is simpler.

It is subtle but you will see my camera is at eye-line (we are at physiologically at some sort of parity) and magically there is no convergence..

 

[groveChuck]

We think ceilings look more interesting? We love looking at blurry arms, waists, legs, and shoulder humps rather than heads in OTS shots? It's just somehow more dramatic?

Don't forget elbows! I think (speculate) it's:
1) power
2) if you have a darker lower back (and elbow!), it directs the viewer's eye to the brighter subject speaking on cam, without more distracting BG.
3) eye level is (usually) more boring
4) less floors, as Charles said

 

[Samuel H]

Samuel: I'm not sure who was the first to employ swing-and-tilt lenses on a motion picture camera and when. The classic way to achieve close and far focus was a split diopter, which is half of a close-up filter. That effect is is indicated by a rather severe line of demarcation where the focus changes--the rule of thumb was to bury this in an element like a post or similar where it wouldn't be that obvious.

interesting