Hip Level
A camera height at the subject’s hips or waist, shooting almost level. Actions that happen at the hip, like drawing a gun or slipping a hand into a pocket, show clearly, and since it is well below the eyes the subject looks a little bigger. It is also the height you often end up at when framing a seated person and a standing person together.
How it feels
- Tension
- Showdown
- Presence
- Observation
When to use it
- A scene with one person sitting and one standing
- A gunfighter showdown in a western
- Showing someone drawing a gun or putting a hand in a pocket
In the movies
Not to be confused with
- Eye Level
- The camera is at the subject’s eye height. Hip level looks from much lower, at the waist, so the subject looks a little bigger.
- Cowboy Shot
- A cowboy shot is a name for the size on screen; hip level is a name for camera height. Some sources use the two together.
- Low Angle
- Hip level is only lower and almost level. If the camera tilts up to look up, it is a low angle.
Prompt
hip-level shot
Hip-level shot. The camera is placed at the subject's waist height and kept level, so the hands and waist sit near the center of the frame.
Try these combinations
Hip level: a western showdown
Two gunslingers facing off on a dusty street, camera at hip height, hands hovering over holsters
Hip level + medium shot: one person sitting, one standing
Camera at hip height, a waiter standing beside a seated customer in a quiet restaurant, medium shot