highly important in deciding how you want the audience to be seeing your shot.

Each cinematic angle has its own purpose. The norm is eye level to imply that we

are standing or sitting at the same eye level of the characters. Low angle is

used when one character is standing at an elevated space. High angle is the

opposite where one character is shown at a depth than the other character. These

angles are symbolically used to represent power or weakness of one

character over the other as well

in this video we'll be taking a look at how Japanese filmmaker yasujiro ozu

manipulated the eye level shot to create a compelling composition

Ozu usually places his camera at the level three feet above the ground which

made it look like the eye level of person who is sitting in a Japanese

tatami floor mat. That's why the shot got its name, Tatami shot. It's also called

pillow shot. Most of his films were set in Japanese interiors where the

characters used to sit on the floor. He used the tatami shot to make the

audience feel close to the characters and a part of the scene. In most of his

reaction shots Ozu made the characters look directly to the camera and talk

which also made us a part of the whole conversation. The tatami level shot gave

a very unique look to his films when added with very limited camera movements.

Ozu rarely moved his camera. He would rather use the movement of his

characters to add dynamism. Later Ozu started using the tatami shots for

exterior shots as well which created some very appealing imagery -one of many

things why Ozu is still considered a master in shooting people and spaces.