STORIES FROM MY LENS: PHOTOGRAPHY: How to Understand Camera Movements

PHOTOGRAPHY: How to Understand Camera Movements

Camera movement is an essential part of cinematography, so here i explain what the different moves connote to help you tell your story effectively visually.

Steps

1Static shot. This is the simplest camera set up, but it is also restricting, presenting what is happening in frame like a play and making it impersonal for the observer. In Barry Lyndon, Kubrick predominantly used static frames to connote the static structure of society.
- Spectator focuses more on changes.
- Composition essential. Often shot symmetrically
2Pan. Pans are used to reveal new information such as an important clue or hidden character without cutting, so it is more fluid. Speed- Pans 'must' be slow, a common rule is it should take 5 seconds for an object to pan from one side of the frame to the other. Pans and Tilts are commonly used at the beginning and ending of a scene.
3. Tilt. Like a pan tilts are used to reveal new information and are best done slowly.Tilts are effectively used to emphasize the height of something or as a moving close up revealing the details of a character.
4. Handheld. If used too often it can look appalling and make the viewer feel sick. Nevertheless it can be used to great effect w with it connoting honesty, immediacy, and energy, and since it is the closest move to how we see the world it encourages viewer participation. It can be used effectively if juxtaposed against static shots. The camera operator can achieve more stability if the rehearse handheld moves and hold the camera close to their body.
Steadicam. Steadicams were revolutionary as they offered the freedom of handheld cameras, yet offer a stable picture. This meant that not longer was it a problem to film smooth tracking shots on stairs, rough ground or sand, while its fluid floating quality connotes the story being told from 3rd person NPOV (neutral point of view), dreams and fantasies.
6
Zoom. If done too often or too quickly it detracts from your film, this is usually because it is unmotivated. Yet a slow hidden(During movement in scene) zoom used at the right moment can be very powerful.
Tracks.
- Track vs zoom. Tracks are generally better to use as they perform a more natural movement.
- A track in focuses the audience attention on the object or person.
- A track out makes the protagonist look, less powerful, vulnerable isolated.
- A circular track helps to externalise thematic ideas such as conspiracy.
Contrazoom. Where you zoom out while pushing in which makes the subject appear still, but the background appears to stretch . This was effectively used in jaws and goodfellas.