TH Camera Angle?

September 19, 2023 10:00 AM

There's a sample shot list found on the Internet from Christopher Noland's "Memento," and one of the camera angles is noted as "TH." Anyone know what it stands for? The others are clear, but there doesn't seem to be a clear answer for this one.
posted by war wrath of wraith to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

I don't know, but the film's editor, Dody Dorn, has a LinkedIn so maybe you could message her to ask?
posted by BlahLaLa at 10:08 AM on September 19, 2023

Telephoto High Angle?
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:17 AM on September 19, 2023

I watched through the beginning of Memento (roughly the first 3 minutes) to see what's happening in those two TH shots listed. The first is a very close shot of blood flowing, but the camera is lying on its side so the blood flows from bottom to top across the screen; almost a double-Dutch angle, if you will. The second is a close-up of the pistol focused on the chamber (though the most of barrel and part of the hand holding it are visible) where the round is ejected (except in reverse the bullet flies into the chamber rather than out, of course). Neither shot is Tracking or Tilt (in terms of camera motion) and I don't think Tripod makes sense for the T either, since the first is on its side lying on the ground (or very close to it) although I suppose the second might have been shot on sticks.

Both shots are close-up verging on extreme close-up for the former at the least, so on preview I don't think Telephoto High Angle is a candidate. Also, Dody Dorn is American so I don't think some type of foreign language notation is likely at play either.

As for the H I'm totally stumped but I think figuring out the T might help. I'm very interested to know if someone cracks the case.

* As for the other angles visible on that list we have: LA (Low Angle), EL (Eye Level), HA (High Angle), POV (Point of View), OTS (Over The Shoulder). All of these quite standard.
posted by axiom at 10:36 AM on September 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

Maybe a variation on OTH? Over The Hip?
posted by yqxnflld at 10:39 AM on September 19, 2023

Oh, Dody Dorn is the film's editor, not the DP. Wally Pfister was the cinematographer (as is plainly noted on the linked shot list), though also an American so probably TH isn't a foreign language notation by the same reasoning. He's on Instagram @wpfister.
posted by axiom at 10:47 AM on September 19, 2023

My initial thought is "The Hip" which could be slang for figure out on site/whatever looks cool or a literal hip-level height.

Its inclusion seems out of place and I've not seen that notation before, but just because it's on the shot list as some proposed angle doesn't mean alternates or adjustments on site make it to final cut instead. *Based on the descriptions above, it could also be Tilted Horizontal which allows for quite a lot of freedom on site, too.
posted by Khazk at 10:52 AM on September 19, 2023

Tilt horizontal?
posted by Rykey at 11:25 AM on September 19, 2023

Tight and Handheld?
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 9:27 PM on September 20, 2023