What is an Overhead Shot in Film? Definition & Examples

What is an overhead shot in film definition examples featured image

Published: October 6, 2024 | Last Updated: October 10, 2024

An overhead shot is when the camera is positioned directly above the subject, looking straight down, emphasizing geometry, spatial relationships, and object placement. It’s closely related to the bird’s-eye view shot. However, the two differ subtly: a bird’s-eye view typically offers a broader, more distant perspective (often from an aerial vantage), while an overhead shot is closer, more intimate, and generally achieved through ground-based rigs or cranes. The overall principle, however, remains the same: shooting an overview of a scene from approximately a 90-degree angle, looking straight down.

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The famous overhead shot from Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) of the policeman falling to his death is a great example of how an overhead shot can capture vertical action, provide an objective, omniscient perspective, show power dynamics and details, and stress visual style—all in one shot! Paramount Pictures.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

The overhead shot is used for a variety of cinematic purposes, including:

  • Capture vertical action or multi-level dynamics
  • Provide an objective, omniscient perspective
  • Show power dynamics between characters
  • Show detailed patterns or arrangements
  • Stress the visual style and composition of a shot or scene

This article will provide an overview (see what I did there!?) of overview and bird’s-eye view shots in cinema.

The overhead shot can be considered part of the larger group of high-angle shots.

Overhead Shot vs. Bird’s-Eye-View Shot

Let’s start by looking at the subtle difference between an overhead and an eye-view shot.

An overhead shot maintains closer proximity to the subject, giving a grounded perspective focusing on detailed composition. Overhead shots are great for emphasizing intimacy and details.

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This overhead shot from American Beauty (1999) is a great example of how perspective can show intimacy and an omniscient point of view. The red rose petals are a motif in Kevin Spacey’s character, Lester Burnham’s fantasies. DreamWorks.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

In contrast, a bird’s-eye view is much higher, usually from an aerial position like a drone or helicopter, providing a broader, more distant vantage point. Bird’ s-eye views give expansive, wide-scale context.

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Bird’s-eye view shot from The Matrix (1999). Warner Bros. Notice how the distance exchanges intimacy for context and setting compared to an overhead shot.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

That said, as the example from Vertigo above shows, there must be a grey zone where shots can be considered both.

Reasons to use an Overhead Shot

Overhead shots are great for capturing scenes where vertical movement or multi-level interactions are central.

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The overhead shot from The Untouchables (1987) is an excellent example of capturing vertical action as we see the danger to the child during the shootout scene on the stairways of Union Station. It was inspired by the Soviet Montage film Battleship Potemkin. Paramount Pictures.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

For example, they can clarify action on different building levels or present a clearer understanding of spatial layouts, whether in complex action sequences or intricate set designs, as the shot above from The Untouchables shows.

Objective Perspective

Overhead shots are also good for creating emotional distance and presenting characters and events in a detached, omniscient manner.

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This overhead shot from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) is a good example of how an overview shot can provide an omniscient point-of-view that simultaneously holds intimacy and emotional distance. Focus Features.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

This viewpoint can lend a sense of objectivity, making the audience observers of the narrative rather than participants.

An Omniscient Perspective

Another common reason is for introducing a third-person, all-seeing omniscient perspective, revealing information that characters are unaware of.

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This overhead shot from Batman (1989) creates tension because we know the danger lurking at the top of the stairs. Warner Bros.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

Placing the audience in the dominant position of the observer can create psychological tension because we know something that the characters don’t.

Enter the Void by Gaspar Noe is a great example of a movie that explores the omniscient perspective and challenges us to move between a first-person point-of-view to a third-person omniscient observer in a gigantic out-of-body trip:

Power Dynamic Expression

One of the most potent uses of the overhead shot is its ability to establish power hierarchies. The shot diminishes their stature by looking down on a character, showing vulnerability, submission, or helplessness.

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An overhead shot from Sin City (2005) shows John Hartigan’s helplessness (Bruce Willis) as he’s trapped in a cell. Miramax.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

Pattern, Detail, and Stylistic Choice

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Stanley Kubrick used extensive aerial cinematography in The Shining (1980) to capture the pattern of the green labyrinth, a recurring motif throughout the movie. Warner Bros.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

The overhead shot highlights detailed compositions or organized patterns within a scene.

Good examples are auteur filmmakers like Wes Anderson and Stanley Kubrick, who use overhead shots to draw attention to symmetry and order, making the shot their signature stylistic choice.

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Overhead shot example from The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)—20th Century Fox. It shows Wes Anderson’s attention to detail, symmetry, and color.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

As with all camera shots, a bird’s-eye view or overhead shot should only be used for a reason. It has to be motivated! Use it to tell your story because it calls for this particular perspective at that particular time—not just for gimmicks!

How to create an Overhead Shot

The handheld overhead: The most straightforward way to create an overhead shot is also the most intimate. You stand above your subject and point your camera straight down while ensuring that it does not capture your legs and feet. This is great for intimate close-ups – for example, a character lying in bed.

The drone shot: Today, overhead shots are quite easy to achieve with a consumer drone. Everyone can now achieve what used to require a helicopter or a crane. Fly your drone above your subject and point the camera straight down.

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This is an overhead shot from my short film VECT0R (2020) that never got used. It was shot with a Mavic Pro prosumer drone.

The advanced studio setups: Film studios often use specific equipment, such as cranes, jibs, or specialized rigs, to carry heavy cine cameras and lenses. These are often combined with wide-angle or zoom lenses depending on the framing needs.

Lighting and shadows: Lighting can also be challenging, as overhead rigs may cast unwanted shadows. To maintain visual clarity without interfering with the shot, you usually address this using advanced lighting setups, including diffusion techniques and remote-controlled rigs. If it isn’t possible, you remove unwanted shadows in post-production.

Summing Up

This was an introduction to overhead shots in film, and I chose to keep the examples as narrow and close to the definition as possible. However, you can get creative and combine the overhead shots with various camera angles, lenses, and movements to achieve unique effects. These shots can also be merged with extreme close-ups, various point-of-view perspectives, or camera movement to create more dynamic and engaging sequences.

The most important thing is to use overhead shots judiciously. Their unusual perspective can break audience immersion if they are not properly motivated by the story. But when used thoughtfully, overhead shots can create memorable visual sequences and give a unique perspective on the action unfolding.

Up Next: Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots, Angles, and Movement.

By Jan Sørup

Jan Sørup is a indie filmmaker, videographer and photographer from Denmark. He owns filmdaft.com and the Danish company Apertura, which produces video content for big companies in Denmark and Scandinavia. Jan has a background in music, has drawn webcomics, and is a former lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.

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