# Movie camera angles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 15, 2002, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001 "2002-08-15T11:50:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/1 "2002-08-15T11:50:32Z")

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Heya this is my first post, although i have been reading cecil and these (very intresting at times) message boards for months. I am naturally a very…curious person…so I have lots of questions I’m sure you guys would just love to have a crack at:)  
Firstly, in movies where a character goes up to a mirror to fix his or her hair of something of the sort…how exactly do they shoot those scenes without the camera equipment being visible in the mirror? My first thought was angling the camera to where is it out of the mirror’s reflection. But i can recall a few instances in which the audiences view is directly in front of the camera…and you see the characters reflection dead on.  
Take for instance the wonderfull “Spiderman” scene where William Defoe is having the conversation (argument?) with himself…I’m pretty sure the camera would have to be directly behind the mirror at some point.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/2 "2002-08-15T12:12:07Z")

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They can “cheat” the mirror – angle it to one side so the camera is not visible. The crew rehearses the camera movement before the “take” to make sure they are not seen.

There’s also CGI. In one scene in _Contact_, where they young “Ellie” runs to the bathroom to get her father’s medicine, the reflection in the mirror is computer generated.

But generally it’s careful angling of the camera or the mirror.

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/3 "2002-08-15T12:30:04Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ThatGuy \*  
> **But i can recall a few instances in which the audiences view is directly in front of the camera…and you see the characters reflection dead on.**

But all the character has to do is turn a bit, and face the camera.

That might foreshorten the mirror a little, but that can also be dealt with–sometimes the construction of an off-kilter mirror that looks square even if it is foreshortened.

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**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/4 "2002-08-15T14:30:53Z")

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Paging Mr. Cartooniverse, you have a call in General Questions! (If he happens to search for the thread, he’ll see his name and give us the lowdown of a pro.)

In addition to previous answers, though, you can also shoot with the camera and the subject at a 90 degree angle to each other, with the mirror tangent to the corner at a 45 degree angle, and use a two-way mirror. That’s how they used to shoot trains approaching the camera head-on without endangering the DP.

These days, of course, you can simply lock the camera down directly behind the actor, then erase it from the scene in post-production.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/5 "2002-08-15T14:55:53Z")

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If both camera and actor were viewing the mirror completely dead-on, then perhaps the reflection of the camera would not be visible, but neither would the reflection of the actor, as it would be obscured by the back of their head.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/6 "2002-08-15T14:57:12Z")

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And then there’s always the option of no mirrior. Where the subject is fixing hair, brushing teeth etc… in what would be the reflection of the camera lens.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/7 "2002-08-15T15:00:03Z")

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(or in other words; if you see the reflection of the actor to the left of where you see the actor on the screen, then you are viewing the mirror from a position to the left of where they are).

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**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/8 "2002-08-15T15:03:59Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pldennison \*  
> **In addition to previous answers, though, you can also shoot with the camera and the subject at a 90 degree angle to each other, with the mirror tangent to the corner at a 45 degree angle, and use a two-way mirror.**

Just out of curiousity, why would it be necessary to use a two-way mirror (or a [one-way mirror](http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blmirror.htm))?

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/9 "2002-08-15T19:55:18Z")

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**Joey P** mentioned one approach that is used with some frequency. Off the top of my head, I know it was used in _Terminator 2_ and _Peggy Sue Got Married._ It works like this:

```auto

                                                CCCC
                                                CCCC <--- camera
                                                CCCC
                                                  CC
     (wall)
--------------------------| (hole = fake mirror) |-----------------
                                       (actor sits here)

```

That allows the camera to view the frame of the “mirror” and the character “reflected” therein, but of course it’s just an illusion. To enhance the illusion, the stuff on the counter in front of the mirror will be duplicated front-to-back.

And in the two movies I cited as examples, there was also a duplicate actor in front of the camera, on the camera’s side of the wall, with his/her back to the lens. The camera shoots over the double’s shoulder, looking at the real actor. When it’s done well, the illusion is remarkable. However, if you watch the scene in _Peggy Sue Got Married_ carefully, you can see that the movements of the two performers – Kathleen Turner and her double – aren’t quite in sync.

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/10 "2002-08-15T20:11:12Z")

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Woops, should’ve previewed that diagram. Slide the camera and the actor back to the left towards the center of the hole. Duh.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/11 "2002-08-15T21:13:47Z")

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I am reasonably certain that the example **Cervaise** gives was used on a weekly basis for _Quantum Leap_.

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**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/12 "2002-08-15T21:32:09Z")

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Thanks guys, as soon as i dig up my old video camera i am going to do a little experimenting with some mirrors…just becuase im that much of a “hand on” kind of guy:)

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/13 "2002-08-15T23:02:00Z")

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In T2, wasn’t the double actually the actress’ identical twin? That makes it easier.

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**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\
**Post date:** [August 15, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/14 "2002-08-15T23:21:51Z")

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For mirrors, let’s not discount the possibility that they simply use two mirrors. This can only be used for static shots, of course, since it’s hard enough working around _one_ reflection, much less two.

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**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/15 "2002-08-16T00:03:10Z")

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I’ve noticed a lot of movies where the actor is in a position where they can’t really see their own reflection. The actor will stand a little to the right of the mirror, and the camera will be a little to the left. The actor’s gaze is looking (by way of the mirror) straight into the camera. Then he’ll comb his hair, or do something else that you’d do when looking in the mirror.

I think the idea is that we all see ourselves looking directly back when we look at a mirror, so seeing the actor looking directly into the camera is supposed to feel like a reflection. I always find it a bit disconcerting when I notice movies doing this.

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**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-camera-angles/124001/16 "2002-08-16T00:16:38Z")

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T2 used Linda Hamilton and her twin sister, but the main reflection was of Anrold. the camera was behind linda (or her twin), shooting toward the mirror. linda (or her twin) futzed around with a puppet Terminator head.

the mirror was a hole in the wall, and arnold sat past the wall, facing the camera. the twin (or linda then stood past Arnold, pretending to futz with his head.