Point of View

Point of view's are very important.  The different perspectives of a person's view can effect your audience in so many ways.  Horror films are a great example of point of view shots.  The person's facial expressions along with music and special effects create a point of view that is disturbing and suspenseful.

There are various ways that a video or film maker can create the point of view they intend for their audience. They can start by framing the scene around types of views by which the story is told.

• First Person
• Second Person
• Third Person

First Person

First person is direct personal expression of thoughts and ideas through images and audio effects.  The characters directly express and communicate what they are trying to portray or tell to the audience.  Documentary's are a good example of a film or video in first person.

Second Person

Second person is not directly expressed because it is the director, film production crew, and the audience.  We are all used to that deep unforgettable voice that narrates those creepy movies.  Or those instructional videos on how to better your game.

Third Person


Most films we watch are in third person point of view.  The characters in the film or video are completely omniscient to the audience.  This point of view reveals a characters thoughts and ideas without directly telling the audience.  It is up to the audience to understand what message the film maker is trying to portray.


The characters point of view can sometime be misunderstood by the audience which may hurt the film or video's intent.  This is why attitude is also very important in point of view.  A character's attitude can express a calm, intense, funny feeling, and etc.

Attitude is everything when describing a point of view.  The audience point of view plays off of the attitude being portrayed in the film.