Camera Movement: Part 2

Camera movement in film is crucial to show what is happening in the scene and to enhance the tone of the scene in film. In this blog, I will continue discussing the types of movement in film and their definitions.

Starting with Random Movement, it is defined as an uncontrolled movement of the camera. As the name suggests, the camera moves randomly and shakes whilst still looking at the subject. Filmmakers use this technique to sometimes add a feeling of panic and/or chaos to the scene and other times it is used to make the scene look more realistic or let the audience see what the subject does.

Boom is a camera movement that allows to see the subject of the shot from an overhead angle, whilst following the subject. Similar to the tracking shot, the boom movement follows the subject, but it is smoother and does not follow the subject's every move. Filmmakers not only use this technique to give an overhead view of the subject, but for other purposes such as adding a dramatic effect to the shot.

Moving on, camera roll is used by filmmakers for a multitude of reasons: mainly to add a dramatic (faster), dominant (slower), action-filled (faster), or any other mood to the shot. The camera roll is defined as the camera being turned on the z-axis which results in everything, the subject, setting, etc., in an orientation that is not upright.

The "arc" is defined as when the camera moves around the subject in an orbit-like motion, whilst still facing the subject, of course. The arc is used for many reasons from showing things that the audience cannot see from one angle to letting the audience feel what the character feels by increasing the speed to make the scene seem disorientating.

The Dolly-Zoom is a camera movement that utilizes both the Dolly movement and the Zoom movement. Having the camera dolly out whilst zooming in can allow the audience to see the environment of the subject increase in scale, whilst the subject still keeps a somewhat consistent size. However, having the camera dolly in whilst zooming out can cause both a dizzying effect, and gives an opportunity for the audience to connect with the subject in a moment of realization. As explained, the dolly-zoom can be very useful for dramatic and intimate effects when filming.

Next, the Crash Zoom; the crash zoom is a much faster version of the zoom, where the camera quickly zooms in on the subject and keeps it facing the subject until the next shot. Crash zooms are commonly used by filmmakers to give a dramatic or comedic effect.

Lastly, the Whip Pan is similar to Pan, but much faster. Similar to Whip Pan, the faster the 'whip' is, the more dramatic or comedic the scene can turn out. The whip pan is basically the camera quickly turning to the subject of the frame and keeping the camera in the position it is.