Which way do the characters look vis-a-vis the camera?

An actor can be photographed in any of five basic positions, each conveying different psychological overtones.

1. Full-front (facing the camera): the position with the most intimacy. The character is looking in our direction, inviting our complicity.
2. Quarter Turn: the favored position of most filmmakers. This position offers a high degree of intimacy but with less emotional involvement than the full-front position.
3. Profile (looking of the frame left or right): More remote than the quarter turn, the character in profile seems unaware of being observed, lost in his or her own thoughts.
4. Three-quarter Turn: More anonymous than the profile, this position is useful for conveying a character's unfriendly or antisocial feelings, for in effect, the character is partially turning his or her back on us, rejecting our interest.
5. Back to Camera: The most anonymous of all positions, this position is often used to suggest a character's alienation from the world. When a character has his or her back to the camera, we can only guess what's taking place internally, conveying a sense of concealment, or mystery.

 

Ghost World (2001)

Both characters are shown in profile. The characters are focused on each other, not the outside world.

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