Moving the Camera

So far we've talked about camera angles and shots. The final element of getting the right shot for the story is camera movement. Depending on who you talk to, there are from 5 to 9 basic camera movements that can be used, which also depends on what equipment is available.

So let's start with a tripod. The first aspect of camera movement with a tripod is the pan or panoramic movement. To do this, turn the camera from right to or left to right, with the camera staying fixed in the level position. If it's done quickly it's called a whip pan. This movement can be used for a conversation between characters with the camera moving back and forth to capture reactions. Or for an action scene, moving the camera back and forth to capture actions by different characters in different parts of the scene. This is also called a one-camera shoot, and you can find this on footage shot for news or event coverage. There are some TV shows that use one camera as well, and that gives these shows a distinctive look on screen. Many shows are recorded with multiple cameras though, increasing the need for editing, which will be a topic for another day.

Another movement on a tripod is the tilt. This consists of tilting the camera up or down to capture scenes above or below the level shot. If the shot is close, tilting the camera can reveal details that may be missed. This can also be used for a reveal, as the camera tilts up to show a new character or a reaction.

Another movement on a tripod requires a tripod with a specialized camera mount. The pedestal is a mount that can be raised and lowered for a pedestal movement. Instead of tilting the camera is moved to get a different shot that is higher or lower than the start. This can give a similar look to a tilt movement, but with the camera staying level as it moves it gives a slightly different perspective than the tilt. There is also less range of movement than a tilt with a pedestal movement.

Another tripod movement that requires a specific camera mount is the cant, as the camera is tilted sideways either to the left or right. Most tripods have a limited angle that can be used for this though, so it's more often seen with shoulder mounts. This is a movement that can be difficult to utilize, as the lean of the camera shot can also be distracting or unsettling for the viewer.

There are two internal actions that can be used with the camera itself. They are not movements as such, although both actions can be used to alter the look of the scene. The first is pulling focus, where the focus of a scene changes to bring either the background or foreground into focus. This can be an effective way to draw attention to details in the background, although it is often subtle. Another internal movement is a zoom shot, which needs a zoom lens. This is a planned zoom into or out of the scene, which can be another effective way to draw attention to details in the scene.

All of the movements so far have been with an immobile tripod. There is a range of equipment types that can produce camera movement. The most common is the dolly, which is a wheeled camera mount, often with a track to ride on, that allows for camera movement. A dolly forward or dolly back is simply a dolly movement either in or out of the scene. If the track is running across the scene it can be used for a tracking shot. Moving the camera from one side to the other of the scene can be used to follow action from one side to the other. Tracking shots are often used with vehicles, and there are many examples of this type of movement, although not all of them are on a dolly. Many of the tracking shots with vehicles come from the camera being mounted in a different vehicle that drives beside the one in the scene.

A crane shot is another type of movement that requires special equipment. The camera is mounted on a crane which can move the camera up or down. This movement gives a higher range of motion than a pedestal or tilt movement, but is similar in the resulting shot. This can also be called a boom shot, with a boom being an arm mounted on a tripod to give more movement. Another movement that a boom or crane can provide is a tongue shot, where the camera is swung from one side to the other, giving a change in perspective to the shot.

A wire rig is a piece of equipment that suspends the camera on wires above the action. The camera can be moved along the wire rig to catch action that is moving below it. The best example of this is in sports stadiums where it gives the ability to follow the action up and down the field.

A drone is one of the newest pieces of camera equipment that allows for camera movement. As the drone is remotely controlled it can provide a range of motions unequalled by any other piece of equipment. But a drone shot is also limited by what camera is mounted on the drone, many smaller drones don't have a camera that is as capable as a cinema camera. A drone that is big enough to mount a cinema camera needs to be large enough for the weight and is big enough that it may limit when it can be used.

Another aspect of camera movement is that many of these can be combined to provide a specific look to the scene. The most famous combined movement is a dolly-zoom, or vertigo effect, where the camera is dollied away as the camera zooms into the scene. When these movements are synced correctly the focus remains in one position but the background seems to warp behind the subject. The vertigo name comes from the movie Vertigo, as this is an example of this shot that was used to great effect by the director Alfred Hitchcock. This can also be reversed, zooming out as the camera dollies into the scene.

There are multiple ways to combine different camera movements for a specific effect or look, but the use of camera movement should be planned out and the resulting scene should be considered as to how well it supports the story being told. If the camera movement doesn't help show the story it may well make the story tough to follow also. The question should always be "does this camera movement help the story?" If it doesn't, the movement shouldn't be used for the scene.

If there are any questions about camera movement we'd be happy to try and help clear your minds. Feel free to comment any question you may have.