Week 4: Camera Angles in Movies (Hairspray c. 2008)

 The first camera angle I noticed watching this movie was it opening establishing shot over the city of Baltimore. This shot serves to reveal the cookie-cutter, suburban city Baltimore was at the time.

The next shot below is a head-on shot. In this shot, the director uses the cloud of hairspray from the can to create a title screen, but the shot can also be interpreted as a point-of-view shot as it is the main character picking it up to spray herself.

This shot is a reverse-angle shot depicting a conversation between the main character and her close friend. In context, the angle further highlights the separation the two must keep on the dance floor.

This is a high-angle shot of the main character showing off her dancing capabilities while in front of a music store while singing "I know there's a place where I belong." This angle serves to foreshadow her passion for dance.

While the main character dozes off in class, the director alternates extreme closeups of both the teacher's mouth and the main character's eyes. This is used to highlight that the main character is not paying attention and that the classes are very boring for her.

The long shot as used in this clip below is used to establish the surroundings, that being the TV studio in which the main character's favorite show takes place.

The next shot is an over-the-shoulder shot of the main character, her best friend, and the show she has spent the whole day daydreaming of. This shot serves to allow the viewer to focus on what is on the television while also depicting the characters reaction to it.

This shot is a reaction shot of the main character waking up in the morning. This works to paint the character as happy and excited to start her day heading into a music number titled "Good Morning Baltimore." 

The clip below shows a close up shot. This angle is used to create a focus and emphasis on the cast of the TV show in which the character is watching.

The shot as seen below is the point-of-view shot from another character's eyes. It is used to illustrate the height of the main character's hair, achieved by the can of hairspray she used earlier.