The Language of Film

Film 2 Day 2 Camera MovementMrs. Kelly Brown

Rio Seco

Camera Movement

• Pan

• Tilt

• Zoom

• Tracking or Dolly Shots

Pan

• The camera moves across the horizontal axis.

• Usually used to introduce setting.

• Used from the point of view of characters as they take in their surroundings.

PAN

• Camera body turning to the right or left. On the screen, it produces a mobile framing which scans the space horizontally.

• A pan directly and immediately connects two places or characters, thus making us aware of their proximity. The speed at which a pan occurs can be exploited for different dramatic purposes.

Tilt

• Communicates distance, strength and size.

• Camera is tilted along the vertical axis.

• Looking up a mountain.

TILT

• The camera body swivelling upward or downward on a stationary support. Scans the space vertically.

• A tilt usually also implies a change in the angle of framing;

• High angle view – inferior

• Low angle – superior

Mobile Framing:Camera Movements

• Pans = rotates horizontally, side to side (“camera rotates on vertical axis”)

• Tilts = vertical pivot/rotation, up and down

• In pans & tilts, camera does not change position, it pivots or rotates. Usually tripod mounted.

• Dolly/tracking/traveling shots

Zooming

• The camera moves in closer on a detail in a scene.

• Directs the audience’s attention to a detail that is extremely important to the story

Mobile Framing1. Actual Movements of Camera2. Zooms, where Camera doesn’t

move, but the frame changes as the lens focal length is changed: Zoom In or Zoom Out. (Magnifies)

Tracking or Dolly shots

• Whenever the camera actually moves, it is called a tracking or dolly shot.

• Most cinematic effect because we follow the action instead of watch what passes by us.

• “Use a chair with wheels.”

DOLLY SHOT

• A mobile framing that travels through space forward, backward, or laterally. Usually follows a character or object as it moves along the screen

Mobile Framing:Camera Movements

• Dolly, Tracking, Traveling shots: all basically the same.

• Sometimes people use “tracking shot” to mean a “following shot”

• But name “tracking shot” came from the “tracks” that dollies moved on.

• So, dolly and tracking interchangeable terms. • Traveling shot is generally reserved for more

expansive movements, taken from a vehicle. • Dolly shots usually lead to LONG TAKES.

Dolly Shot, on Tracks

Camera Movement Within a Shot:

Pan- when the camera’s head is stationary, but it moves from right to left or left to right

Tilt-when the camera’s head is stationary, but it moves up and down on the vertical axis

Zoom- zoom in means to get closer, and zoom out means to get farther away from

the subject

Dolly shot- refers to any time the camera itself moves, either on tracks, from a helicopter, on someone’s back, or in any other way.