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#Post#: 15--------------------------------------------------
High camera angles in adventure game scenery
DIR By: Pam
Date: May 20, 2021, 8:32 am
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Having looked at low camera angles last post, it now makes sense
to study the use of high camera angles in backgrounds. Once
again I'm starting with a fairly standard camera angle, this
time from Kyrandia 2, so that we remember what most artists
choose to use when approaching a scene. With that fresh in our
minds, let's look at some higher angles, and try to figure out
what they bring to the equation.
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This fairly mild shot from Gateway is an interesting place to
begin. What this mostly does is give us a nice long shot of a
location, while still putting us straight into a scene, and not
relying on an establishing shot for the angle. It's not really
very dramatic or tense, really, it just gives us a nice view and
helps to remind us that we're in a raised structure. The fact
that we're looking from a first person point of view also
probably makes it a little less dramatic, as we can't see
anybody in danger.
HTML https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l8Y20HYq4os/WJSERRKy42I/AAAAAAAAAvg/Ie1bMVfIQC0ee11r_h8xZ-lACtVbrwWTgCEw/s400/dncdprg_007.png
Another first person shot, this scene from Dune uses the
technique to slightly more dramatic effect. Here we're placed up
high in a hallway, with the perspective shifting quite strongly
due to the top vanishing point inside the frame of the image and
another one below the image. Including this vanishing point
inside the frame here makes the distance to the back of the hall
seem much further, and despite the somewhat uneven
foreshortening (notice how the pillars at the back seem wider
than those closer to us) this effect makes the hall seem large
and spacious. The other vanishing point, sitting some way below
the bottom of the scene, also helps to warp the perspective and
give the impression that we're looking down.
HTML https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5nYzz5Xdpqw/WJSESakmvHI/AAAAAAAAAvg/PxF06hI53vcb7cuBJaznNmvhRR4TCj0GQCEw/s400/kq5_172-640x400.png
This shot from King's Quest V does something similar, but this
time with the two vanishing points having slightly shifted
roles. Here we can feel a vanishing point below the bottom of
the scene the most, which really makes the walls and ceiling
seem high, whereas the other vanishing point lies a fair way
above the top of the image, making the lines receding in that
direction much less effective. Comparing this image and the last
image really shows how placing a vanishing point closer to the
image makes the angles in that direction seem more extreme,
which really helps to accentuate the distances perceived in that
specific direction.
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This scene really interests me because we can see that it's
basically the exact same layout as the previous scene, yet it
does a couple of things differently that are worth noting. Here
the decorations on the far wall loom out nicely, stretching over
the scene which really helps to spice up the composition by
adding different layers of depth. The absence of the statues in
the last scene, though, make the back wall's angle read slightly
less clearly, so while we gain a nice looming feel, we lose some
of the clarity of perspective. This scene also has an exit to
the bottom right, and you can see the tightness of the lines as
they begin to converge on the vanishing point more and more, and
how the character sprite doesn't fit in here as well as he did
in the placement of the last scene.
HTML https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lm-iGTzxMnQ/WJSESrK8AOI/AAAAAAAAAvg/njmAI4G07i4aZQR7HLEERqbiKaILHETgACEw/s400/loom_147.png
From establishing the height of a ceiling, to establishing the
depth of a drop, here we see a scene in Loom that also employs
objects that cover the lower parts of the ground to make them
seem like they loom nicely. This is an interesting example that
feels like two different sets of vanishing points were used for
the background and the foreground, abandoning reality in favour
of a more dramatic shot. Unlike the last scenes we can't see
lines descending from the taller parts to the lower parts, which
makes the change in perspective more excusable. It's also
interesting that the near and far areas use similar shades of
green, and rely on a solid black border to break them up.
HTML https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7QnfErtz_yo/WJSEUYXxDqI/AAAAAAAAAvg/ow5y2lMQKXwowF1W7g0ADn9jbHdeFW0_ACEw/s400/wb_205-640x400.png
This scene from Willy Beamish does show areas that are
connected, but with flowing, curving lines that makes the shift
seem slightly less extreme. What it does, however, is make the
transitions between these areas very interesting and dynamic,
and the way the tubes snake and curl around also help give an
impression of distance without necessarily relying on lines
converging to a point to show that. I also love how, unlike the
last scene, there's a very clear distinction both in saturation
and hue between the elements, with the rich red foreground
elements being very apparent, the yellow mids being nice,
balance details, and then the distant blues feeling less focused
and further away. A great way to separate the different heights.
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More consistent in portraying straight perspective is this scene
from Beneath a Steel Sky which shows the player perched
precariously above a massive city. The angles used here work
really well - the buildings in the middle ground have plenty of
lateral lines that show the strong shift in perspective, and
because there's no floor to limit the vertical lines, here the
vanishing point above the top of the scene really sells the
depth beautifully, rather than relying on a vanishing point
below the scene. This is a great way to show the danger of the
situation.
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Once again, having the bottom vanishing point much closer to the
scene makes for a much more dramatic drop. Placing Foster on the
other side of the scene really works well here - the warped
perspective hasn't gotten too extreme yet, and he still feels
like he fits the background very well. This allows the whole
bottom half of the image to be dedicated to showing the depth,
and makes for a very dramatic, tense angle. The many vertical
lines take great advantage of this close vanishing point, too,
really playing the shot to its full potential.
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This scene from Curse of Enchantia uses a warped, fisheye style
of perspective that has some vanishing points receding to a
clear point in the image, and others slightly further down. This
really gives a great example of a long drop, that warped
perspective giving a dizzying, unsteady effect that really sells
the height we're looking from. I particularly like the bits of
floor that remain over the drop, more lateral elements that help
to add layers of depth to the scene, and the fact that we can
actually see where the drop ends, unlike in the last scene.
HTML https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y26mooJz39Y/WJSETjRNkGI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Xj3Jv7tx-HkSh1KAbsgNh-rkL43kTtGTwCEw/s400/lost_118-640x400.png
This scene from Lost Secret of the Rainforest also has somewhat
uneven lines, here quite easily excused by the fact that we're
looking at natural structures. Once more we have lateral
elements covering the scene in layers in the form of branches
and leaves, that helps to break up the trunks nicely, and once
again being able to see where the drop ends works great, even
though the vanishing point is further down than last time.
HTML https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aDTyJ6mpLF8/WJSEUR9UGJI/AAAAAAAAAvg/U_OLBzaE2BgNYxybScWcarjVMMPxTJ9HACEw/s400/x37uFKj.png
Taking uneven lines to an extreme is this lovely backdrop from
Simon the Sorcerer 2. Here the twisting and warping really comes
into play, and similarly to the scene from Discworld in our
examination of low camera angles, really makes the drop seem
dizzying and unsafe. Something I really love here is the use of
two different light sources, one from above and one from below.
Having them be very different in terms of saturation and
brightness really sells the idea of one light source being
strong daylight, and the other coming from a warmer light
source, farther down the image than we can see.
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Speaking of Discworld, this shot is a fantastic example, with
the shelves making concentric circles, leading down to a
vanishing point right around the bottom left third point. The
laterally crossing pathways break it all up wonderfully with
nice diagonals that help to show depths of specific parts, and
the way the red light shifts from a rich, solid red high up to a
brilliant pinkish white down the bottom really adds to the
feeling of depth.
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The ultimate example of a high camera angle, this scene from The
Secret of Monkey Island places the vanishing point very clearly
in the image, and surrounds it with cliffs. This level of
extremely high camera angling is somewhat impractical - the
character had to be completely redrawn and animated here, and
trying to have a conversation from this angle wouldn't be quite
so enjoyable as normal, because seeing expressions and gestures
is much harder. Still, it does a great job of conveying the
drop, and is a great way to show an item at the bottom of this
canyon.
HTML https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-97GZl6NQvBE/WJSRWiIPfnI/AAAAAAAAAvs/DAqsylJDkP89G0ePgjdXFiejwmvOXmyPACLcB/s400/Untitled-1.png
One last example, to show the power of perspective, is this shot
from Dreamweb. Here the verticality of the walls and furniture
has been ignored or played down, and we no longer feeling like
we're looking from a massive height like many of the earlier
scenes. Shots like this feel more akin to playing a board game
that we're sitting directly over, than looking down a deep well,
and this kind of shot basically shows no depth, despite the
bird's eye camera angle. This just goes to show what power
relying on vanishing points gives us.
Much like low camera angle shots, these high camera angles are a
great way of conveying drama, tension and danger. They can
provide some spectacular views that really add to an important
moment in a story, and can also simply help to make a nice
change from seeing the same angle all the time. I love to see
how these artists used the idea to achieve certain effects in
their work, and believe there's plenty to be learned from
studying these scenes.
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