Line #33 Main/InUniverseCamera


1	[[quoteright:335:[[VideoGame/SuperMario64 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/super-mario-64-screenshot-lakitu-cameraman-small_4061.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:335:The Lakitu Bros. found that hurling Spinies just wasn't bringing in the cash.]]
3
4	In most movies, shows, video games, etc., the camera is assumed to not be actually present; one might say it exists outside the FourthWall.
5
6	An InUniverse Camera, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as the name suggests]], is actually present in the "world" of the story: Characters may notice and talk to it, it may get bumped or shaken by the environment, and may even be seen in a reflection. This frequently makes it a target for CameraAbuse, and works rather well with a JitterCam.
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8	It's also a favorite device of the DocumentaryEpisode, where another character is assigned a role of operating the camera, or a {{Mockumentary}}, which parodies the documentary genre. May lead to a LeftItIn situation, if a character explicity asks for something to be "edited out" (but it's, of course, left in, since you the viewer are watching it).
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10	When the camera is meant to represent the "eyes" of a character, it's a POVCam. If the cameraman is an amateur and the plot is about what happened to them, it's a {{Found Footage Film\|s}}.
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12	See also ShowWithinAShow. For a gameplay mechanic that frequently uses this trope, see FirstPersonSnapshooter.
13	----
14	!!Examples:
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16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
19	* All visuals shown in ''Anime/{{Flag}}'' comes from video recordings made by one of two reporter main characters, the camera on the MiniMecha, or in-universe StockFootage.
20	* ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' is revealed to be composed of the case footage from Yusuke's time as a spirit detective. Considering some of the things we're shown throughout the series, including internal monologues, flashbacks, everyone's life before Yusuke even died, musical scores, and multiple camera angles, this footage must have been put through a ''lot'' of pre- and post-production.
21	* ''Literature/{{Hyouka}}'' provides an in-universe example as Oreki's solution to a LockedRoomMystery presented in a student film, [[spoiler:though he was actually wrong]].
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Comic Books]]
25	* ''ComicBook/SensationalWonderWoman'': ''Man's World Womanger'' is mostly from the perspective of being through the lens of [[spoiler:Myndi Mayer]]'s iPhone camera.
26	[[/folder]]
27
28	[[folder:Eastern European Animation]]
29	* The original Russian intro to ''Animation/KikoRiki'' features the characters building a nature environment. When Barry places a tree, it creates enough of a disturbance to where the camera goes lopsided for about a second before Krash moves it back into place.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
33	* ''WesternAnimation/SurfsUp'' is done as a {{Mockumentary}} about surfing penguins. The characters interact with the crew, and on several occasions [[CameraAbuse the cameras are attacked by natives]].
34	* ''WesternAnimation/WreckItRalph'':
35	** The action inside ''Hero's Duty'' is displayed to the player by a camera robot that travels with the soldiers and simulates the first person perspective for the player. Naturally, it suffers CameraAbuse as its lens breaks when Ralph uses the robot as a shield against a Cy-bug.
36	** Likewise, we do see the camera guy who is doing the live footage of racer introductions in ''Sugar Rush'' that appears on the jumbotron adjacent to the spectator's stands.
37	* The fake HilariousOuttakes in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'', ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2''.
38	* One of the special features of the ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'' DVD is a camera fly-by of each of the film's sets. During the fly-by of the Monsters, Inc. building you can briefly see the camera (operated by ThoseTwoGuys Smithy and Needleman) reflected in the restroom mirrors. Mike also waves at the camera as it goes by on the door storage area.
39	* In ''WesternAnimation/Cars1'', a security guard tells the cameraman shooting the scene where the instant replay of the Dinoco 200 race is shown to get out.
40	* In ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'', Elastigirl wears a camera to capture a superhero viewpoint as part of the plan to build support for legalizing superheroics. [[spoiler:She realizes something suspicious is going on when she reviews the tapes and notices a screen displaying her camera feed in Screenslaver's lair.]]
41	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei uses a camcorder to record her and her friends plan to raise the funds for concert tickets and to record them dancing.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
45	* ''Film/TheBlairWitchProject'' is a famous example, and [[TropeCodifier almost epitomizes]] the trope.
46	* ''Film/{{Cloverfield}}''
47	* ''Film/{{REC}}'', its sequels, and the American remake ''Film/Quarantine2008''
48	* ''Film/CannibalHolocaust''
49	* All of ''$la$her$'' was shot from the view of a single cameraman on a murder game show. The camera ''was'' a character, one who followed the action for the studio and broadcast audience, but couldn't be harmed due to electrical collars on all the contestants and slashers.
50	* The film ''84 Charlie [=MoPic=]'' is explained in-world as the contents of a can of undeveloped film that came back from an LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrol) mission that had a combat cameraman attached.
51	* ''Film/{{Chronicle}}'' is shot through multiple in universe cameras. Most of it is from a camera owned by Andrew, a main character who almost obsessively documents his life, but it also includes the camera of Casey, a video blogger. In the last part of the movie, it switches between many different cameras, including security cameras, cable news, police video, and even camera phones.
52	* ''Film/DiaryOfTheDead''
53	* ''Film/{{Eternals}}'': When Kingo joins the Eternals on their mission, he has Karun film an Eternals documentary as they go. Several shots are seen through one of his cameras.
54	* ''Film/GonjiamHauntedAsylum'': There are multiple cameras set up throughout the asylum, so the FoundFootage comes from multiple different angles.
55	* ''Film/{{Hungerford}}'' is viewed through Cowen's camera.
56	* ''Film/ParanormalActivity'', its sequels, and the straight-to-video Asylum ripoff, ''Paranormal Entity''.
57	* Indie art film ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116465/ Guy]]'' is told entirely from the perspective of an unnamed filmmaker's camera as she documents the day-to-day life of a total stranger.
58	* ''Film/TheTrumanShow'' has scenes that demonstrate the number and variety of hidden cameras capturing Truman's life.
59	* ''Film/TheTrollHunter''.
60	* The indie film ''Film/KillerFlick'', in which the main characters are a quartet of filmmakers who exist within the fictional world of the exploitation film that they are creating. The cameraman "One Eye" is usually shooting the footage that we see, but sometimes he appears in frame as well.
61	* ''Film/{{Hellzapoppin}}'': The protagonists address the cameraman throughout the picture. [[CameraAbuse They shout at him to turn on the sound, to fix the broken reel, to rewind the previous footage or to follow them rather than focus on an attractive girl in a swimsuit]].
62	* Often happens on Creator/MelBrooks's films for BreakingTheFourthWall jokes.
63	** Twice in ''Film/HighAnxiety'' the camera crew accidentally breaks through the set during a [[{{Dolly}} dolly shot]], causing the actors to turn toward the camera. In the second example, you can hear the crew arguing about it.
64	** In ''Film/{{Spaceballs}}'', Dark Helmet hits a camera operator during the Schwarz ring battle, and promptly blames Lonestar.
65	** In ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'', as Maid Marian is taking a bath, the camera zooms to the stained glass window of her bathroom then cuts away to inside. She hears a window breaking and looks over to a camera half-away through the window. The camera slowly backs out.
66	* The horror film ''Film/TheDen'' is shown entirely from the perspective of a webcam, a cellphone camera, and a Go-Pro.
67	* ''Film/{{Unfriended}}'' is shown entirely through the screen of the main character Blaire, except for the unexplained final shot.
68	* In ''Film/LovelyMolly'', several parts of the movie is footage from Molly's camera as she tries to document the fact that her father's ghost is haunting her.
69	* In ''Film/{{Nerve}}'', most of the challenges are represented by footage shot by Watchers on their phones.
70	* ''Film/{{Searching}}'' and its [[ThematicSeries thematic sequel]] ''Film/Missing2023'' have a slight variation on this idea, where they exclusively use shots from computer and phone screens, with virtually all traditional footage from webcams and phone cameras.
71	* Early on in ''Film/ShredderOrpheus'', an EBN cameraman films Eurydice's dancing and Orpheus's attempt to stop the filming, which is seen through the camera's lens. Hades, Persephone, and the EBN producer are later seen reviewing the footage as they debate whether to force Eurydice to join the network.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
75	* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'': The camera is an actual robot, "Cambot", and we see the show through his perspective. We only see him in the opening "Robot Roll Call", and he's actually looking into a mirror to show himself. That's why his name is backwards. There's also the external camera, Rocket Number Nine, which is basically its own satellite which is remote-controlled by Cambot.
76	** Deep 13's cameras were remote controlled in Season One, with the respective sound effects. By the next season, they were operated by [[Creator/GerryAnderson Jerry and Sylvia]], the Mads' mole men neighbors.
77	* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'' episode "Manifest Destiny" was filmed almost entirely from this point of view.
78	* The ''Series/{{Sanctuary}}'' episode "Instinct": The first-person camera is held by the cameraman of the reporter who gets tangled up with the Sanctuary team while they're pursuing a giant insect.
79	* The camera used by the documentary crew in ''Series/{{The Office\|US}}''.
80	** The show seldom explicitly refers to the presence of cameramen, though. So seldom, in fact, that when the camera crew is actually discussed or referred to onscreen, it can be a little jarring.
81	* The kinos in ''Series/StargateUniverse'' are floating, remote control camera balls. They frequently are the camera for parts of most episodes and are the only cameras in the kino webisodes, as the name might suggest.
82	* The ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Ghostfacers" was seen almost entirely through the lens of a few cheap cameras, carried by the Ghostfacers themselves.
83	* ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' is on the fence. While it's never explicitly stated to be a mockumentary, the camera acts like it's a person carrying a camera- it jumps, shudders, looks through keyholes and under doors. It also gets thrown out of a court in accordance with rules banning televised trials. So while it doesn't say so, it does this quite a lot. However, if this trope is actually in effect, some serious FridgeLogic ensues about just how personal the Bluths are willing to get in this "documentary."
84	* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'''s two-part episode "The Menagerie" uses footage shot for the original pilot, "The Cage", as evidence in Spock's trial. Kirk wants to know the origin, since "No ship makes record tapes in such detail." Commodore Mendez later comments that "this is a trial, not a theater."
85	* The "Why Are You Here?" episode of ''Series/TheHitchhiker'' centers around the filming of an episode of the in-universe show "Nighthawks" (''also'' called "Why Are You Here?"). The only time we ''don't'' see the camera's perspective is at the end, with the Hitchhiker giving the ending remarks.
86	* The ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode Pillows And Blankets does this, with the premise that the cameras came from a Guinness World Record crew that were intending to document the largest pillow or blanket fort, who instead would document the pillow fight that resulted when Troy and Abed built rival blanket and pillow forts that could not expand without encountering each other. It was done in a {{Mockumentary}} in the style of Ken Burns Civil War documentary, portraying the pillow fight [[SeriousBusiness as if it were an actual war]].
87	* ''Series/{{Fleabag}}'': At the end of the penultimate episode, the title character forces a SexyDiscretionShot by reaching out and physically tilting the camera away. Although she is a constant FourthWallObserver, up to that point it's not clear whether she's actually aware of the camera, or merely of a viewing audience on the other side.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Pinball]]
91	* The backglass for ''Pinball/AmericasMostHaunted'' shows the four ghost hunters from the POV of a camcorder viewfinder.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
95	* ''TabletopGame/IsaacAsimovsRobots'': Whenever Det Baley connects to Data Central (the players), the camera's perspective changes to be from his pocket computer so he's looking directly at the audience.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Theatre]]
99	* Several of Theatre/{{Tsukipro}}'s series feature a "School Revolution" episode, where the IdolSinger main characters visit a school to film a variety program, and end up having supernatural adventures, which they then have to hide from the cameras. They always feature a camera on-stage, that the idols interact with, the image from which is projected to the back of the set.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Video Games]]
103	* ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'' has a scene shot from the perspective of a soldier's helmet camera, when they discover the Flood.
104	* In ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'', the camera is actually controlled by a Lakitu member of a news crew following Mario around the castle. Notably, if you enter a room with a mirror, the camera-carrying Lakitu is reflected in the mirror.
105	* In the first ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'', there's a scene from a S.T.A.R.S. member's shoulder camera before he gets devoured.
106	* The basic mechanic of Creator/{{Suda 51}}'s ''VideoGame/MichiganReportFromHell'' is that the player is a cameraman, attempting to film the events that unfold. The story progresses differently depending on what the player films.
107	* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsDroidworks'', Holocam-E, AKA 'Cammy' is true to her name, as she is both a hover droid and a video camera in one, monitoring your droid's movements during missions. Her [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Holocamera droid type is actually a staple of the Old Republic technology.]]
108	* In ''VideoGame/{{Paranormal}}'', your character is attempting to document the haunting that's infested his house. Active play is from the [=POV=] of your camcorder; during the downtime between nights of filming, closed-circuit camera footage is shown.
109	* Kat explains early in ''VideoGame/EndlessOcean'' that she sends down an remote-guided minisub to record your dives, which justifies the third-person view and how the camera will occasionally brush kelp and fish aside. You can never see it when in first-person, though.
110	* Your cameraman in ''VideoGame/TheDevilInside'' can and will be attacked by zombies.
111	* Third person shooter ''VideoGame/KaneAndLynch2DogDays'' has a weird, not properly explained example. The game's camera emulates a handheld camera from start to end, as if the protagonist's actions are being constantly recorded by a cameraman that follows them around and that even has their camera taken away at one point in the game by a soldier. Yet, this cameraman character is never properly acknowledged, even if they do exist in-universe, to an extent.
112	* If you allow Diana Allers to give interviews with Commander Shepard in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', the camera viewpoint will switch to her hovering auto-cam until the interview wraps.
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:Webcomics]]
116	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', most of the "Catnip" storyline is from cameras Tedd set up to record Grace's transformations. Also most of the appearances of Carol Brown, the news reporter, are portrayed as footage from her cameraman's camera.
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Web Original]]
120	%%* ''WebVideo/{{lonelygirl15}}''
121	* ''WebVideo/{{KateModern}}'' loves this, as characters frequently kick or drop the camera.
122	* In ''WebVideo/PurePwnage'', the camera is being controlled by Kyle, a character in his own right, with some notable exceptions for dramatic effect.
123	* "The Sky Young Skit Show" is a rather humorous example of this. The skits are about three friends hanging around in L.A., in which one is never shown or named, as he is the designated cameraman, leading the titular character to say in a recent episode: "What are you? You're just like, a camera...and a hand...And why are you following me?" The interesting part about it is that in previous episodes, the characters interact as if the camera is not even there, causing the whole episode "Sky Discusses Faces" to get REALLY confusing.
124	* Billy's webcam in ''WebVideo/DoctorHorriblesSingAlongBlog'' serves as the camera during the blog segments of the episodes.
125	* Every episode of ''WebVideo/WorldsGreatestAdventures'', is supposedly a video Talltales and his unseen assistant create themselves to 'promote' Talltales's latest 'heroics'.
126	* Anything to do with ''Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos'' on youtube. ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets'' started it all, followed by ''WebVideo/TribeTwelve'' , ''WebVideo/EverymanHYBRID'' and others.
127	* ''WebVideo/TheJokerBlogs'': The first few entries consist of the title character's recorded therapy sessions with Dr Harleen Quinzel. [[spoiler: After he escapes, he steals Dr Arkham's camera so he can keep making entries, and later uses Jack Ryder's.]] This is phased out after the first season.
128	* Although the point of a vlog is to address the audience through the camera, Creator/{{Tobuscus}} takes it a step further by addressing the camera ''as'' the audience and introing every entry by asking the audience what they are doing in whatever ridiculous place he chooses.
129	-->"Audience? What are you doing in front of a steamroller, audience? That's precarious!"
130	%%* WebVideo/EchoChamber
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:Western Animation]]
134	* The episode "Wild Cards" of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', where the Joker set these up all over Las Vegas--along with twenty-six bombs. They played it pretty loose just to keep things going, though.
135	* Sometimes invoked in ''WesternAnimation/{{Birdz}}'', what with lead character Eddie sometimes filming his family in his aspirations to become a filmmaker.
136	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Duckman}}''[='=]s DocumentaryEpisode, "American Dicks", is done entirely from the perspective of a cameraman filming Duckman's investigation as part of the ShowWithinAShow's MilestoneCelebration, hence lots and lots of JitterCam. At one point near the end, the cameraman sets the camera down on the ground and attempts to join an offscreen brawl, only to get thrown out almost immediately. He flies into his camera, causing it to slide across the floor in circles until he picks it back up.
137	* The ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "No Free Rides" begins with [=SpongeBob=] taking his drivers test. As he drives towards the camera, the narrator's voice grows louder and more alarmed until [=SpongeBob=] hits the camera. The next shot shows the narrator, who acted as his own camera man, down on the ground.
138	* In the episode "Irregarding Steve" of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', Steve and Roger run away to New York City. After the commercial break, we get a number of sweeping shots of the New York skyline, followed by a view from the ground. Then a bus comes right at the camera, and it cuts to Roger in a hotel room telling Steve that some guy with a camera was just run over.
139	[[/folder]]

Context Main / InUniverseCamera