Bird's Eye View
Shoots directly down from above the subject at a 90-degree angle, creating a flat, map-like perspective. This overhead shot removes subjects from their normal visual context, creating abstraction or emphasizing patterns and choreography. It's used for visual impact, disorientation, or to show tactical spatial layouts.
When to Use
- Creating visual abstraction or artistic pattern compositions
- Showing tactical layouts or choreographed group movements
- Emphasizing vulnerability or surveillance perspectives
- Opening sequences that establish location from an omniscient view
Famous Examples
The Shining (1980)
Overhead maze shots establishing the hedge maze layout
Psycho (1960)
Marion Crane lying dead in the shower from directly above
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Symmetrical overhead shots of the hotel's architecture
Related Techniques
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