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Camera Movements
Camera Movements
Camera moves can make your project look super professional or incredibly amateurish depending on how well you use them. You should use camera movement to tell your story better and to enhance the viewer's experience. This page outlines the standard types of camera movement in film and video. In the real world, many camera moves use a combination of these techniques simultaneously. There are other types of motions or variations to the motions. The motions listed below are the ones that this class will focus on.
Pan
Pan
How: On a tripod, pivot the camera horizontally left or right. Ideally, you should use a tripod for a smooth effect. To be a great "panner", practice the shot several times at several speeds before you feel comfortable with it.
Why: To follow a subject or show the distance between two objects. Pan shots also work great for panoramic views such as a shot from a mountaintop to the valley below.
Rule: Always start on a static (still) shot, begin the pan, and finish on a still shot. Practice first. Look at the scene as the pan reaches the middle portion between the left most and the right most point of the pan. If there is nothing worth seeing, then the pan isn't worth shooting.
Tilt
Tilt
How: On a tripod, pivot the camera up or down without raising its position.
Why: Like panning, to follow a subject or to show the top and bottom of a stationary object. With a tilt, you can also show how high something is. For example, a slow tilt up a Giant Sequoia tree shows its grandness and enormity.
Here's a good tip. In general, when you tilt up and shoot an object or a person they look larger and thicker. The subject looks smaller and thinner when you tilt down.
Rule: Always start on a still shot, begin the tilt, and finish on a still shot. Practice first. Look at the scene as the tilt reaches the middle portion between top and bottom of the tilt. If there is nothing worth seeing, then the tilt isn't worth shooting.
Zoom
Zoom
How: You press a lever or rocker to zoom in or out. This lever controls the lens mechanism inside the camera. Usually, the harder you press on the lever the quicker the zoom. Some camcorders have only one zoom speed whereas others allow you to zoom manually by turning a ring on the lens. A zoom lens gives you the option of having both telephoto and wide-angle lens in one camera. You use the telephoto lens when you zoom in, bringing objects closer to you. There is less visible area around your subject, and distant objects are compressed. Zooming the lens out gives you the wide-angle shot and more of your subject and surrounding areas are visible. Depth perception is also changed, and the size and distance between objects is more pronounced.
Why: To bring objects at a distance closer to the lens, or to show size and perspective.
Rule: Continuous zooming in and out is annoying to viewers. Don't zoom while shooting unless the scene calls for it. Use a tripod if you zoom. Start on a still shot, then zoom smoothly, and end your zoom on a still shot. Practice first. Look at the scene as the zoom reaches the middle portion between the closeup and wide angle. If there is nothing worth seeing, then the zoom isn't worth shooting.
Dolly
Dolly
How: The camera is set on tracks or wheels and moved towards or back from a subject. A dolly is also a noun, describing a train track contraption used for a dolly (verb) shot or a device attached to a tripod. A wheelchair, because it has large wheels, rolls smoothly, and has a seat for a videographer, works quite well as a dolly, but you can also use a rolling cart or even a skateboard.
Why: To follow an object smoothly (going forwards, backwards or follow) to get a unique perspective. In some movies directors combine the dolly and a zoom shot for a real sense of doom. To do this, the camera lens zooms into the subject at the same time as the camera physically dollies out, and the person in the shot remains the same size, but the background appears to move. It's difficult to master smoothly, but done right, the shot conveys a real sense of tension and feeling of vertigo.
Trucking (Tracking)
Trucking (Tracking)
How: The camera is set on tracks or wheels and moves left or right to stay with a subject.
Why: To travel with an object smoothly from left to right can capture a shot without changing the perspective. The shot stays consistent as the camera moves with the subject.
Pedestal (Pedding)
Pedestal (Pedding)
How: Not tilting, but physically moving the height of the camera up or down, usually on a tripod.
Why: You pedestal the camera up or down to get the proper height you prefer. If you want to get "eye to eye" with a six-foot-six basketball player, you would pedestal up. While shooting a flower or a small child, you would pedestal down to their level.
Canting
Canting
How: Placing the camera at a 90 degree on a tripod and pivoting the camera to make the subject look as if they are slanted..
Why: The titanic effect. Oh no, you are sinking. Or to show a mental illness or other odd effect.
Other Types
Other Types
Combinations: Look into other motions. The Vertigo shot, also known as the 'jaws effect' is a combination of dolly and zoom.
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