Knee Level

A camera height at the subject’s knees. Legs and footsteps look big on screen, and since the camera has to tilt up slightly to fit the whole body, a mild low-angle feel mixes in. It is not as extreme as ground level, but it gives a similar low view.

Camera position seen from the side. From knee height (about 0.3 m), it tilts up about 13° to fit the whole body.

Camera view. Feet to head fit in, the legs look big, and the horizon drops.

How it feels

Presence
Superiority
Tension
Stealth

When to use it

A character walking or sneaking
Scenes at the eye height of a child or a pet
Emphasizing a character’s superiority, together with a low angle

In the movies

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

Not to be confused with

Low Angle: The camera height is about the same, but a low angle tilts up more steeply. Knee level is about height; low angle is about tilting up.
Ground Level: One step lower, at floor height. Knee level is a gentler low view.
POV: If it shows what a small child or animal sees, it is a POV. Knee level is a camera height, no matter whose view it is.

Prompt

Keyword

knee-level shot

Descriptive

Knee-level shot. The camera is placed at the subject's knee height, tilted slightly up to keep the whole body in frame.

Try these combinations

Knee level: a character sneaking along
Knee-level shot of a burglar tiptoeing down a dark hallway, camera at knee height, flashlight beam
Knee level + low angle: a fighter entering the ring
Knee-level low angle shot of a boxer walking into the ring, crowd behind, dramatic spotlights