History Main / BackToCameraPose

* The poster for ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'' features reformed supervillain Gru overlooking a plain full of his Minions, establishing that he's a slick man with authority. And since the [[WesternAnimation/DespicableMe first film]] ended with his reform, the pose leaves what he's planning up to interpretation.

-->'''Wenders:''' As soon as a person is in there, that person tells a story about the place. In painting it's the same thing. My favorite painters, landscape painters - they didn't put anybody in the foreground because its always about that person. Caspar David Friedrich painted people and they turned their back to us, and thus become us inside the picture. But we don't see them and they don't attract our attention. They actually lead us more into the landscape of a place. [...] If you want the place to tell its own story, you have to leave it alone.

[[folder:AnimeAndManga]]

* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'': The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRSGZKpKXVg season 12 teaser trailer]] ends with going through most of the major characters one by one, showing each one doing something different. The last one is Carolina; she stands with her back to the viewer, then turns her head to the side so that her visor comes into view. This reflects how she's been absent for the past season while off doing her own thing, while also hinting at her eventual return this season.

* Season 2 of ''Anime/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero'' has its cover poster show four of the five main characters (namely Rishia, Eclair, Filo, Raphtalia) standing with backs to the viewer, watching the progress of their adversary: the Spirit Tortoise, a colossal armored beast. Only Naofumi is facing forward, unsure if even their combined powers will be enough to thwart such a gargantuan opponent.

Although it has been used by artists dating back to the 14th century, when depth of field was beginning to make its way into paintings, the rückenfigur was popularized by Creator/CasparDavidFriedrich and his fellow [[{{Romanticism}} German Romantics]]. Friedrich in particular really liked using this pose, and his ''Art/WandererAboveTheSeaOfFog'' is one of the closest this trope has a TropeCodifier -- for overt homages to that painting, see [[ReferencedBy/WandererAboveTheSeaOfFog its ReferencedBy/ page]].

* Creator/NormanRockwell's ''The Connoisseur'' is about an art expert examining a Creator/JacksonPollock-esque painting from the back. Rockwell intended it as a commentary on how his realistic illustrations clashed with that of the abstract expressionists like Pollock, and so the titular connoisseur's reaction to the painting is left ambiguous by his pose[[note]]Rockwell was a fan, though[[/note]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Paranatural}}'': On [[https://www.paranatural.net/comic/chapter-4-page-47 this page]], Forge stands facing away from Nin and the reader while a DramaticWind blows, and gives an enigmatic statement about having a debt that must be paid.

** A poster showing [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/avatar_franchise.jpg both Aang and his successor, Korra]], looking at a PillarOfLight in the distance.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrCUFfM7wEQ In an interview with the Louisiana Channel]], director and photographer Creator/WimWenders talked about his usage of this trope. The human subjects of his photographs often have their backs turned to the camera, allowing the setting to take center stage.

%%* The ''Series/LawAndOrderUK'' episode "Survivor's Guilt" opens with one of these of Detective Sergeant Ronnie Brooks at a crime scene. Other factors such as his defeated posture, the somber music, and the shadowy lighting are enough to instantly confirm our worst fears [[spoiler: that his partner has died as a result of the gunshot wounds he received in the previous episode]] all before we even see his grief-stricken face.

* The ''Series/LawAndOrderUK'' episode "Survivor's Guilt" opens with one of these of Detective Sergeant Ronnie Brooks at a crime scene. Other factors such as his defeated posture, the somber music, and the shadowy lighting are enough to instantly confirm our worst fears [[spoiler: that his partner has died as a result of the gunshot wounds he received in the previous episode]] all before we even see his grief-stricken face.

** ''VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm'''s second episode opening credits see Chloe vandalise a bathroom with a marker pen. The sequence ends with a shot of her admiring her work, framed the same way as Max's own selfie. Paralleling her connection to Max, and framing her snarkyness as a parallel to Max's photography.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': [[https://youtu.be/eAZs8BCxUOs?t=155 Near the end]] of "We Are the Crystal Gems", the heroes stand with their backs to the audience, looking up at the villains looming over them. In the same shot, the yet-to-be-introduced Yellow Diamond is the only one in the villains' group who is standing with her back turned. A few seconds pass, and she slowly turns her head so that one of her eyes is visible, glancing back toward the camera.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/PortraitOfALadyOnFire https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rf.png]]]]

-->'''Wenders:''' As soon as a person is in there, that person tells a story about the place. In painting it?s the same thing. My favorite painters, landscape painters - they didn't put anybody in the foreground because its always about that person. Caspar David Friedrich painted people and they turned their back to us, and thus become us inside the picture. But we don't see them and they don't attract our attention. They actually lead us more into the landscape of a place. [...] If you want the place to tell its own story, you have to leave it alone.

* ''Webcomic/{{Vibe}}'': The volume 1 cover shows Bree in the background, turned away and glancing at the reader from over her shoulder. This reflects her departure in between the prologue and the present day story, the [[AloofBigBrother distance she puts between herself and Baron]] (who is in the foreground, facing toward the reader), and the mystery of what's up with her.

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate: World of Light'': After escaping [[BigBad Galeem?s]] [[DownerBeginning laser beams]], [[TheHero Kirby]] teleports himself to the World of Light, where he stands on a cliff looking at the titular location with the camera facing away from him.