Media Glossary : Angles...

A camera angle is the positioning of the camera in relation to what is being shot., the angle can help give emotional information to the audience. There are four different angle shots that are commonly used in films:

Eye Level Angle Shot = This is a fairly neutral shot. The camera is positioned as though it was at human eye level observing the scene. In this shot the camera is place approximately five to six feet of the ground

High Angle Camera Shot = This is when the camera is elevated above the action (in high budget movies this is done using a crane, unfortunately i don't think the A level money budget £0.00 would pay for a crane). A high angle shot makes a character seem smaller and less significant.

Low Angle Camera Shot = This is when the camera is placed looking up at the character (it is really handy shot to make an actor seem taller as it increases height so Tom Cruises best friend shot). This angle shot gives the character on screen the sense of dominated power. When a low angle shot is used the only background setting will tend to be just a ceiling or the sky (this lack of detail in the setting can help add to the disorientation felt by the viewer in certain film genre's).

Birds Eye View Angle Camera Shot = Shows the scene from directly over head, unlike the eye level angle shot this one is a very unnatural and strange shot (this is the closest feeling I could get to being God as this shot is looking down onto the action). Hitchcock is one director who is very fond of this style of shot!