Cinematography III - Camera Movement

You must learn these terms and use them at all times throughout your essay when discussing key sequences of the films you are analysing. Whilst camera movement will form only one part of an essay on cinematography, every film uses a variety of camera movements and these movements are used to create relatively consistent effects for the audience across those films. Writing about camera movement (or a lack of camera movement) is relatively straightforward so I would suggest that most essays about cinematography should include a paragraph on the ways in which the camera moves and the effects of these choices.

Sometimes the questions in the exam will focus broadly on film form, whilst at other times the questions may direct you more specifically to discuss cinematography, encouraging you to consider the ways it is used to create meaning for the audience. Questions on film form are applicable to ALL of the films studied on the course and a thorough appreciation of camerawork and the effects of choosing particular types of camera movement will also be crucial in your practical coursework (particularly in the accompanying storyboard of digital images but also in the way you construct your action lines in the script).

In the exams, questions might focus on other Core Areas of Study (such as aesthetics, representation and context) or Specialist Areas of Study (including spectatorship, narrative, ideology, auteur, critical debates and filmmakers' theories). Even though these questions do not specifically ask you to discuss film form, you will be expected to discuss film language (including camera movement) in your essays.

The main purposes for moving the camera are:

• to reframe the shot/scene
• to reveal new aspects of mise-en-scene
• to create kinetic energy (to thrill, excite or unsettle the spectator)
• to follow a character or object as they move
• to show the perspective of a character or object in motion

Even though we will deal with each type of camera movement separately it is common, particularly in high-budget modern blockbuster genres, such as the action film or superhero movie, for filmmakers to combine a number of camera movements to make scenes more kinetic and therefore exciting and immersive for the audience. It is also worth remembering that many of these camera movements (or combinations) are achieved using digital technology or CGI, something that is apparent in the camera movement in Christopher Nolan's Inception (as in the shot above of Arthur navigating the unstable dream layer set in the hotel), for example; though it is far more important to discuss the effects of these shots on the spectator rather than figuring out how they have been achieved. 

It is also worth remembering that camera movements are often achieved by placing the camera on board a moving vehicle (vehicle-mounted shots), which enable the filmmaker to show a point of view from inside a car or van, or to create a travelling shot from outside a moving vehicle. Vehicle-mounted shots are often used in sequences such as car chases to create excitement for the audience by making viewers feel as if they have been 'placed within the scene'. In the case of the car journeys featuring Jules and Vincent in Pulp Fiction, the placement of the camera creates a degree of intimacy between the audience and the characters, positioning us with them as we listen to their realistic dialogue.

PAN

A pan involves camera rotation horizontally, from right to left or left to right (with the camera attached to a fixed axis, such as a tripod). These types of camera movements are often used to create the perspective of a static observer (as if the character is turning their head to watch something pass by). Often a pan is used to force the spectator to 'look' around a landscape, to show its size, beauty or grandeur (particularly common in establishing shots found at the beginning of scenes). Alternatively, a pan may be used to track the movement of a character, vehicle or object. 

It is worth distinguishing between slow pans and quick pans, as the speed at which the camera moves can dramatically alter both the effect and the meaning of the shot. As a general rule of thumb, slow camera movement (including pans) creates suspense, anticipation and tension for the spectator

WHIP PAN/SWISH PAN

TILT/VERTICAL PAN

A tilt involves camera rotation vertically, up to down or down to up. Tilts can serve various purposes such as revealing the height, size or beauty of a building, landscape or character and they are often a reflection of a character's perspective as he or she looks at something. They are typically used as a 'reveal' for the spectator...

ROLL

Relatively rare, rolls are often used to show the point of view of a character who is drunk, drugged, falling over in a daze or waking up...

ARC

The camera moves around a character in a 360 degree motion - such as the opening scene in Fernando Meirelles' City of God during the transition from the 1960s to the 1970s where the camera arcs around Rocket...

CRAB

TRACKING SHOT

AERIAL SHOT/HELICOPTER SHOT

In aerial shots, the camera is mounted on a helicopter or plane (or more recently, these shots are achieved by using a drone). Aerial shots create excitement for the spectator by placing them in positions they rarely find themselves in in reality, and are useful for showing other airborne objects or to shoot tall dramatic objects and landscapes...

CRANE SHOT

The camera is mounted on a crane dolly that enables the subject (character, object or landscape) to be shot from a high angle. Crane shots are in many ways similar to aerial shots (but with limited movement) and can be used to create dramatic sweeping movements...

DOLLY IN/OUT

Sometimes referred to as a push-in or pull-out, these types of shots are used to show movement towards or away from a character or object. Technically, the term 'dolly' refers to the mobile support that the camera is mounted on, which was traditionally run on specially laid tracks to create a sense of smoothness and precision in the shots, and dollies are used for many types of moving shots such as tracking shots, crane shots and crabs. For our purposes, however, we will use the term to refer to camera movement towards or away from a subject...

ZOOM IN/OUT

Zooms in or out (increasing or decreasing the size of a subject by altering the lens rather than moving the camera) is actually used relatively rarely in filmmaking and even though this technique creates a similar effect to dollies, there are often noticeable differences. Dollying creates a slightly different psychological effect for the spectator; dollying in feels as if we are moving closer to the subject whilst zooming in makes it feel more like the subject is being pulled towards the spectator. Zooming often draws attention to the fact that we are witnessing events through a lens, whilst dollying seems far more natural.

CONTRAZOOM

HANDHELD CAMERAWORK

Handheld camerawork (sometimes described as a 'wobble shot') is often used to enable extra freedom of movement and the shaky nature of the images can not only create a sense of verisimilitude for the audience, creating a documentary or 'cinema verite' feel, but can also have the effect of unsettling the audience or reflecting a sense of panic in the character...

STEADICAM

Whilst handheld shots may create an unsteady and disorientating aesthetic, using a steadicam gives the filmmaker the same amount of freedom whilst enabling smooth, stable shots. The steadicam uses a gyroscope system which enables the camera operator to be mobile whilst the shots remain smooth...