Ultimate Guide to Camera Movement — Every Camera Movement Technique Explained [The Shot List Ep6]

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Films are made up of sequences.
Sequences are made up of scenes.
And scenes are made up of shots.
In our last episode,
we discussed the types of camera rigs
used to move the camera.
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But in this episode,
we'll be going over what those movements are.
And the stories they tell.
This is episode six of "The Shot List".
Camera movement.
There are countless variations of camera movement
each with their own language and purpose.
A filmmaker who understands this language
can create dynamic and compelling work.
We'll be examining different types of camera movements.
Along the way, we'll be updating a shot list of these camera movements
in a StudioBinder shot list.
Which you can download and reference in your upcoming projects.
Now, let's get moving.
Let's begin with a shot that has no camera movement at all.
This is the Static Shot.
Static shots are commonly captured
by locking the camera to a tripod in a fixed position.
The result is a shot with zero camera movement.
This is great for dialogue.
"- What business is it of yours where I'm from...
...friendo?"
Precise painterly compositions.
"- Redmond. Nice to see you."
Or shots that allow an actor's performance to shine.
"- I'm funny, how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you?
I make you laugh? I'm here to f*cking amuse you?
What do you mean, funny? Funny how? How am I funny?
- Get the f*ck out of here, Tommy.
- Motherf*cker! I almost had him! I almost had him!
You stuttering prick, you!"
Sometimes filmmakers use static shots to trap a character
and suggest their helplessness.
Like this moment from "Dunkirk".
In this scene from "12 Years of Slave",
the static shot holds on Solomon's lynching.
He is helpless
and we are not allowed to look away.
Its cruelty is amplified by stillness.
A moving camera
might've matched Solomon's panic,
but this static shot
with its neutral and cold perspective
is far more unsettling.
Let's move on to our next camera movement.
The Pan.
A pan rotates the camera horizontally,
Left or Right,
while remaining in a fixed location.
Pans can be used to follow a character's actions.
Or be used to reveal information.
Which is something, Wes Anderson does frequently.
"- 4 minutes, 48 seconds.
We're all dead. Burned to a crisp."
Moving on.
A slow pan builds anticipation.
While a rapid pan heightens the energy of a shot.
These are known as Whip Pans.
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Director Damien Chazelle uses whip pans
to create relationships between characters.
In "La La Land", he amps up the energy in the scene.
While underscoring the growing synergy
between Sebastian and Mia.
He uses the same technique
for a different effect in "Whiplash".
No pun intended.
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In the final scene, whip pans are precisely timed
with the give and take of the music.
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Accenting the combative relationship
between Andrew and Fletcher.
To learn more about whip pans,
check out our video,
where we break down how to use them to build energy
and transition through time and space.
Panning is ideal for horizontal movement.
But what about the vertical axis?
The tilt.
A tilt directs the camera upward or downward.
Filmmakers use tilts to capture the verticality of a film's world.
This can be used to give a character dominance.
Or vulnerability.
"- Yes, we're men.
Men is what we are."
Similar to a pan, a tilt can reveal information.
Like a character.
Setting.
Or scale.
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"- Who are the people?
- Projections in my subconscious.
- Yours. - Yes."
In "Inception", Ariadne tests how much of the dream world, she can distort.
"- My question is what happens when you start messing with the physics of it?"
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Nolan tilts up to capture the awe
and scale of this spectacular moment.
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The visceral effect of being on the street,
looking upward at such a spectacle
is accentuated with a simple camera tilt.
"- It's something, isn't it?
- Yes, it is."
Switching our attention from upward or downward,
our next camera movement takes us inward.
Push In.
The push in shot
moves the camera towards a subject.
Pushing the camera is all about emphasizing a moment.
"- Get our informers to find out where it's going to be held."
A visual cue to the audience
that this is important.
"- ...it's a public place. A bar, a restaurant.
Some place where there are people, so I feel safe.
But if Clemenza can figure out a way
to have a weapon planted there for me
then I'll kill them both."
You can push in on an external detail, such as an object.
Or text.
In doing so, filmmakers can direct our attention to a specific detail.
Or it can capture a character thought process.
Like in this moment from "The Post",
when Ben comes to terms
with exposing the infamous Pentagon papers.
A Push-in is an effective way to communicate internal conflict.
Like in the iconic restaurant scene in "The Godfather".
Michael Corleone is about to kill a man who tried to kill his father.
"- Your father is in bad shape."
It will be a life changing decision.
A point of no return into the underworld.
"- This fighting has to end."
A slow push in towards Michael elevates the tension,
as we watch him wrestle with the consequences
and gathering the courage to pull the trigger.
Which leads us to our next camera movement,
the opposite of the push in
is the Pull Out.
Unlike pushing in,
pulling the camera deemphasizes the subject.
A sort of signal to disconnect from the characters.
It can unveil the context of a scene.
Its setting.
Or its characters.
As subjects grew smaller,
a pull out can detach us from a scene.
Or the entire film.
Like in the final shot from "Catch Me If You Can".
The same movement can also emphasize
negative emotions like isolation.
Or abandonment.
In this scene from "Joker",
we see Arthur at his most vulnerable.
This camera movement away from him
highlights his helplessness
and rather than push in to help us sympathize with Arthur
director Todd Phillips pulls away, abandoning him.
Our next movement directs our attention
without moving the camera at all.
Enter the Zoom.
A zoom may not be a camera movement per se,
but there is movement created in camera.
Zoom shots change the focal length of the camera's lens.
To zoom in.
Or zoom out.
Similar to pulling back a camera
zooming out can reveal the context around a subject.
Like this opening shot from "The Graduate".
Zooms are unique
because there is no equivalent in the human experience.
Like a push in,
we can physically move closer to a subject,
but our eyes can't zoom
making this camera movement unnatural.
"- Shouldn't we give him to the authorities or something?
- No."
It can also draw our attention to a specific detail.
Many horror, thriller films
use a slow zoom to create uneasiness.
"- You said she's a conduit. - That's right.
- What does that mean?
- A very powerful demonic has latched itself onto her."
And Stanley Kubrick is a master of this technique.
This iconic shot from "The Shining"
slowly zooms in to highlight
Jack's descent into madness.
The use of a zoom doesn't stop there.
A fast zoom is known as a Crash Zoom.
Crush zooms can often be used for either dramatic
or comedic effect.
In "Django Unchained",
Quentin Tarantino uses the crash zoom repeatedly.
For comedy.
"- Just seems like a good bit of fun."
Drama.
Or both.
"- No! Calvin!"
Now what happens when you pair the in-camera movement of a zoom
with physical movements of a camera?
It's none other then the Dolly Zoom.
A Dolly Zoom utilizes both a dolly movement
and lens zoom
to create something called the vertigo effect.
Named after its dramatic use in Hitchcock's "Vertigo".
A dolly zoom can be done two different ways.
The first is by dollying in
while zooming out.
This causes the background to grow in size
while maintaining the scale of the foreground.
This is commonly used to portray conflict in a shot
either internal.
"- It broke my heart to put that tumor in her head.
- What?"
Or external conflict.
The second way is by dollying out
while zooming in.
This causes the foreground subject to become dominant over the background.
The dolly zoom can be used to highlight a growing relationship
between two subjects.
Like in this scene from "Raging Bull"
where Scorsese slows everything down.
"- Come on. Come on."
The Dolly zoom pushes the crowd further into the background,
as we occupy Jake's POV
and battered tunnel vision.
We are no longer watching a fight.
We are in it.
In "Bohemian Rhapsody",
the dolly zoom draws the audience closer to Freddy
as a way to create intimacy
between one musician
and his adoring fans.
DP Newton Thomas Sigel
explains why they chose to use the dolly zoom for this shot.
"- The camera continues to come around him
and we're still in this wide lens.
So as we come around,
you can see that the audience is very far from him.
But now, he's beginning to come into his own.
The audience is coming into it.
And by using the dolly zoom,
we're bringing the audience closer and closer and closer.
Freddie is not getting any bigger in the frame,
but the audience is getting closer
simply by changing the focal length of the lens
and the proximity of the camera to the subject."
A dolly zoom can be a versatile choice
in any shot list
to convey either positive
or negative psychological effects.
Our next camera movement is a rotation known as
The Camera Roll.
A roll turns the camera on its long axis
while maintaining the direction of the lens.
A camera roll is disorienting,
unsettling our equilibrium.
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Rolls can be used to match character movement
in moments of panic.
Or conflict.
Camera rolls can be disconcerting.
Like when a villain assumes the throne.
They can also be used to visually reinforce theme.
Like in this moment from "The Dark Knight".
"- Oh, you.
- You just couldn't let me go, could you?
This is what happens when an unstoppable force...
...meets an immovable object."
The Joker is captured,
strung upside down and defenseless.
But as the camera slowly rolls over,
he reveals that he still has the upper hand.
"- What did you do?
- I took Gotham's white knight...
...and I brought him down to our level."
This reversal of power
is matched with a simple,
yet meaningful camera roll.
With great effect
a camera roll can accent movement
or dramatic shifts in the narrative.
Let's move on to our next camera movement.
The tracking shot.
A tracking shot physically moves the camera through a scene.
Typically following a subject.
Tracking shots differ from push ins
or pull outs.
Because they don't simply move toward
or away from a subject.
They move with a subject.
The subjects are on the move
and the camera tracks with them
wherever they go.
When done purposefully, they generate two questions.
Where is this character going?
And what will happen when they get there?
This is perfect for long takes that are meant to immerse the audience
directly into a scene.
Like in this long take from "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri".
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Director Martin McDonagh ops to use a handheld tracking shot
to create a visceral documentary-style effect.
It also draws our attention to specific actions,
like when we see officer Dixon
flip his gun at the last moment
deciding to not shoot.
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"- What the hell is going on?"
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Tracking shots can also be used to build tension.
Gus van Sant's "Elephant"
is filled with extensive tracking shots.
They follow the murderers and the victims
of a tragic school shooting.
The smooth, steady cam shots
accent the seemingly endless corridors
that allow dreadful anticipation
of the impending massacre.
So a tracking shot either follows
or leads a subject.
But when the camera moves laterally, left or right
it is referred to as
a Trucking Shot.
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"- Morning, Gadge.
- Morning, sir."
In this scene from "Moonrise Kingdom",
Wes Anderson continuously
trucks the camera right.
To follow scoutmaster Ward
through his morning inspection of Camp Ivanhoe.
"- Latrine inspection."
By doing so,
Anderson establishes both a world of the film
and its characters
in storybook fashion.
"- Roosevelt, how's that lanyard coming?
- Horrible."
To learn more about how to shoot better tracking shots,
watch our video, where we explore how to combine
this movement with location,
production design,
and blocking to create a powerful effect.
The link is in the description.
Tracking shots can be engaging
by following the actions of a character.
But how do you create energy in a shot
where characters are standing still.
Consider the arc shot.
The arc shot is a camera movement
that orbits around a subject.
This orbit is typically a horizontal arc.
But it can also be vertical.
Arc shots add dynamic movement
when characters may be standing completely still.
Like in this hero shot from "The Avengers",
which unifies them as a single unit
against surrounding threats.
Arc shots keep our focus centralized on the subject
for moments of intimacy.
Panic.
Or heroism.
And what about this shot from "The Dark Knight"?
What kind of effect does the arc shot create?
"- As soon as your office got involved...
- My office?
You're sitting down there with scum like..."
The arc shot underscores the tension
and reeling panic between Gordon and Dent.
"- Don't try and cloud the fact that clearly Maroni's got people in your office, Dent."
And the tension only comes to a stop,
once our hero poses a solution.
"- If I get him to you, can you get him to talk?
- I'll get him to sing."
When the speed of an arc shot is amplified,
it can create a dizzying effect,
reflect of character's mental state.
Like in "City of God",
when Rocket is caught in the middle of a standoff.
Now that we've analyzed how to move a camera left.
Right.
In.
Out and around.
Let's take a look at how we move the camera vertically
with the Boom Shot.
A Boom Shot moves a camera up
or down.
Utilizing a crane, jib, or pedestal.
Small boom movements are coming to use to reveal information.
While large boom movements
can be used to follow characters in the action.
Or to capture the world surrounding them.
" - Quickly! Move it up, Pyle! Move it up!"
In this scene, from "Full Metal Jacket",
Stanley Kubrick uses a boom shot
to follow Private Pile up an obstacle
while Sergeant Hartman berates him.
"- Private Pyle, whatever you do, don't fall down!
That would break my f*cking heart!"
The reveal of Hartman at the top has a comedic effect,
but the real purpose of the shot
is to reinforce Pile's mental state.
"- Get up and over!
Move it, move it!
Are you quitting on me?
Well, are you?
Then quit..."
In a single take, Kubrick booms up
to follow Pile's hopeful attempt.
And booms down
phase inevitable defeat.
"- Now! Move it!
I'm going to rip your balls off
so you can't contaminate the rest of the world!
I will motivate you, Private Pyle...
...if it short-dicks every cannibal on the Congo!"
Most camera movements are highly precise.
Controlled.
But sometimes filmmakers want to produce movement without control.
Which brings us to our final camera movement.
Random movement.
Random camera movement is defined by camera shake,
incidental zooms,
or any movement that happens on the fly.
Camera shake is often added subtly
to create a subjective experience
for more intimate effect.
Arbitrary zooms and random camera movement
can be used stylistically to create a documentary look.
"- Institutions treat these CDOs like they're as solid as treasury bonds,
and they're going to zero."
Which is a technique
that Adam McKay uses in "The Big Short".
"- You're managing a fund of, what, $555 million?
- I don't know how to be funny.
I don't know how to work people.
I just know how to read numbers."
And "Succession".
"- Have you thought about the possibility that
your children are actually scared of you?
- Oh, f*ck off."
Random movement gives the impression
that events are happening in real-time
when nothing is planned
and anything can happen.
"- Throw your gun down!
- I visited your home this morning...
After you'd left."
This climactic scene from David Fincher's "Se7en"
has two types of shots.
Controlled.
And chaotic.
"- What's he talking about?
- Give me your gun. - What's going on over there?
Put the, ugh... Put the gun down.
- I saw you with a box. What was in the box?"
Notice how each shot
reflects the state of mind of each character.
Mills' panic.
"- You tell me that's not true. That's not true."
And John Doe's calm.
By mixing these styles in the same scene,
the effect of both is intensified.
Now that we've covered all of the camera movements
that filmmakers have at their disposal,
let's take a look at how multiple camera movements
can be combined in a single scene.
In this scene from "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker",
director JJ Abrams uses a variety of camera movements
to keep the scene thrilling and engaging.
We've attempted to pinpoint each movement.
Watch the scene closely
and see if you can spot every type of camera movement.
"- Rey!"
So, did you identify all of the different camera movements?
Planning out a scene with various types of camera movements can be daunting.
But using shot listing tools like StudioBinder
makes it a straightforward process.
While there are countless examples of camera movement in film,
remember that the best uses are always intentional.
In the next episode of the shot list,
we'll explore camera lenses.
And how choosing the right lens
is essential for executing a perfect shot.
Subscribe, click the bell,
and we'll see you in the next episode.
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