Reply #22: Yeah, as someone mentioned they used the classic "two-faced" camera shot. [View All]

[Leopolds Ghost]

You never shoot someone from the left-hand 30 degree angle
(Also known as a 2/3 profile) unless you're trying to unsettle the audience. It's very unflattering to Bush, and the subject (Bush) is looking the "wrong" direction.

As I rememmber (I saw this on TV and it was very noticeable, so much so I thought it might have been a rerun of a "classic" interview where Bush punched Lauer, or something) the camera was below Bush, and Bush was looking up at Lauer. Even worse.

If you're looking up at Bush, that says "this is a powerful person". Except he's in 2/3 profile, which says "this is the hidden side of Bush", because you so rarely see someone in 2/3 profile that it's off-putting. And he's looking off to the right which means you're supposed to identify with the person on your right (Lauer) and not with Bush, or he'd be looking to his left. Of course this is all just camera tricks but it's based on real psychology.

And if I recall, he's looking UP at Lauer which says "Lauer is putting Bush in his place, even though he's a powerful person." All before Bush even opens his mouth. These camera tricks are used so often to make powerful people look good that it's noticeable when someone turns the tables in a white house interview. One of the reasons the Media lost respect for LBJ and Nixon and ultimately made them both look like fools to the public is because they didn't know how to appear before cameras. Bush is not a tall man, you'd at least expect them to train him to look at people's lapel, instead of looking up at everyone all the time like Danny DeVito.