Different Camera Movements using in Filmmaking.

Types of Camera Movement

MEANING THROUGH MOTION

1. Static / Fixed Shot
2. Dolly Shot
3. Zoom Shot
4. Dolly Zoom Shot
5. Pan Shot
6. Tilt Shot
7. Whip Pan Shot 
8. Whip Tilt Shot
9. Tracking Shot
10. Crab Shot
11. Arc Shot

The way a camera moves can give meaning to what’s happening on screen. You can burst into a room, drone over from on high, pan with a head turn, and dolly-zoom for any revelation. 

What is camera movement?

Camera movement is a powerful filmmaking tool employed to modify the relationship between the subject and the camera frame, with the goal of altering viewer’s perspective of space and time for a more impactful and visceral visual storytelling.

Camera moves set auteur directors out from the pack and wind up defining their visual style. But how can you plan all these camera movements so your story stays consistent from scene to scene?  

Static Shot or Fixed Shot

When there’s no movement (i.e. locked camera aim) it’s called a static shot. These camera shots emphasize the appearance and movement of your subject against its environment, and are predominantly captured by being placed on a tripod or a dolly that remains static during the shot. 

Static shots work well in every genre, but they’re nice for comedy because the actor’s performance and dialogue is often the focus.

Camera Dolly Shot 

A dolly shot is where the camera is affixed to a mechanism called a dolly, which is a specialized push-cart built to handle heavy cinema cameras. A dolly will often have areas to attach seats for the camera operator and assistant camera operators to pull focus and control the camera.A dolly most commonly will be placed on tracks, and the vast majority of professional dollies have either a hydraulic or even a pneumatic head that can jib up and down during operation. 

Zoom Lens Shot

Zoom shots are camera shots that change the focal length of the lens during the shot. This action can be a zoom out, or a zoom in, but they are different from a push in (or dolly in) because the camera is rarely changing positions, but simply altering the focal length of the zoom lens.

A good way to remember this is that the camera does not zoom, but rather the lens zooms. Now, your iPhone might be able to do a “digital zoom” which is actually just reducing the image quality by moving in on an already captured image which is a huge faux pas in pro filmmaking.

Dolly/Zoom Shot or Vertigo Shot

A dolly/zoom shot is where the camera position and focal length of the lens are simultaneously altered to create a warping effect. 

Camera Pan Shot

Camera pans rotates the camera side to side on a horizontal axis. This can reveal something to your viewer or allow them to follow an action.

Camera Tilt Shot

A camera tilt is when you move your camera up and down on a vertical axis. So, it’s exactly like a pan, only vertical.

Whip Pan Shot or Swish Pan Shot

A whip pan happens when you pan the camera from one shot to another, creating a motion blur. 

Whip Tilt Shot or Swish Tilt Shot

The swish tilt is the same idea as a swish pan, only vertical.

Tracking Shot

A tracking shot moves with your subject. Sometimes it follows behind or beside them on a dolly, Steadicam or a gimbal.

Crab Shots

The crab shot is basically a dolly shot that moves horizontally like a crab.

Arc Shot

Arc shots are camera shots where the camera moves around the subject in an arc pattern so as to show more of the surroundings:

Blogger-Akash Shinde😍 (Assistant Director)

Student of journalism and mass communication.