How do I make architecture appear larger?

Question

I need to know whether there are any techniques to make a building appear larger. I need to film a house; inside and outside.

For outside I've thought about positioning the camera low down on the ground, is this a technique that photographers use? I am wondering about wide angle lenses, wouldn't that make the house appear smaller? I reckon a wide angle lens inside is a must.

I'm also thinking about Depth of Field, and whether that would have any positive or negative effects?

Any tips and links to techniques or ideas, would be great! I will be taking video rather than still shots, but the same principles still apply

Answer 1

There are plenty of techniques to distort the size of objects in photographs or cinema that are as old as the hills. The best and most used is forced perspective.

The brain is hardwired to make scale conversions based on distance, so if you can place an object close to the camera but conceal it's actual distance then the brain will perceive the object as being much larger than it is as the increase is size due to perspective is mistaken for an increase in object's actual size:

Here a person is placed closer to the camera than the tower, by cropping the persons feet out of the shot the difference in distance is masked causing the person to appear much larger (ok maybe not ;)

Other than that there are POV (point of view) techniques that trick the brain as it will assume the footage is shot from head-height. Shooting up with a wide angle lens will invoke this effect:

Depth of field usually has the opposite effect, as in a very shallow depth of field tricks the brain into thinking something is very small:

Answer 2

Other answers already covered the technical aspects of making things look bigger but there are also other non-photographic tricks:

• More empty space makes things look bigger, so remove as much stuff/furniture as you can.
• People judge size by proportions, so getting smaller furniture makes the space look bigger.
• Brighter places look bigger, so you can add more light or increase exposure.

And, yes, definitely go wide-angle with a low shooting level. Keep things near the foreground and background, so that people get a better sense of depth.

Answer 3

Since it's video you could try a little trick to make the rooms feel a little larger inside. Whenever you pan the camera rather than just turning your body instead try to move yourself and the camera about a fixed point just in front of the camera. Using a wide lens this can make the room feel a little larger.

Watch out though, the further in front of the camera you make the fixed point the more you will be misrepresenting the space and the easier it will be for the viewer to notice something is off.