Prompt given to ChatGPT: Explain the rhetoric of camera angles in documentary filmmaking.
I added boldface to the text below. Explanation following the text.
Result:
In documentary filmmaking, camera angles are an essential rhetorical tool that helps filmmakers convey their message and create an emotional impact on their audience. Camera angles refer to the position of the camera relative to the subject or object being filmed. Different camera angles can be used to create different visual effects and communicate different messages.
Here are some examples of how camera angles can be used in documentary filmmaking:
1. Eye-level shot: This is a shot taken from the same height as the subject or the interviewer. This shot can make the audience feel like they are in the same room as the subject or that they are having a conversation with the interviewer. This shot is often used in interviews or to establish a sense of intimacy with the subject.
2. Low-angle shot: This is a shot taken from below the subject, looking up. This shot can make the subject appear more powerful, dominant, or intimidating. This shot is often used in political documentaries or to give a sense of grandeur to a subject.
3. High-angle shot: This is a shot taken from above the subject, looking down. This shot can make the subject appear vulnerable, weak, or powerless. This shot is often used in documentaries that deal with social issues, poverty, or injustice.
4. Wide shot: This is a shot that shows the subject or the object in its environment. This shot can help the audience understand the context in which the subject is placed. This shot is often used to establish a sense of place or to show the subject in relation to its surroundings.
5. Close-up shot: This is a shot that shows the subject’s face or a particular detail of the subject. This shot can be used to convey emotion, to highlight an important detail, or to create a sense of intimacy with the subject.
In summary, camera angles in documentary filmmaking are an essential rhetorical tool that can be used to convey a message, create an emotional impact, and engage the audience. Filmmakers need to be intentional and thoughtful when choosing camera angles to create the desired effect and communicate their message effectively.
END
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The text is rudimentary — adequate for a freshman-level understanding but absolutely inadequate for senior-level or graduate-level understanding. The salient fact is that ChatGPT understood what rhetoric meant in this context, and it deals specifically with the persuasive intention of the camera angles it describes.
I ran a plagiarism check on: “This shot can make the subject appear vulnerable, weak, or powerless” on Google. No matches. The search returns seem to demonstrate that ChatGPT is reasonably good at finding and adapting search results in a manner similar to a freshman skilled in finding stuff and avoiding plagiarism (but, perhaps, with limited understanding).
I’ve run a few of these today. I’ll post more. And then I’ll offer some sort of wrap-up with some kind of commentary about what it might mean. I have no idea where this is going yet.
I will add this: My niece is in college studying animation. We were messing around with ChatGPT on my phone today. I asked it to write a 500-word essay on “intersectionality” in modern animation. The result was scary good — again, for a freshman essay.
