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  • Films are made up of sequences.

  • Sequences are made up of scenes.

  • And scenes are made up of shots.

  • In our last episode,

  • we discussed the types of camera rigs

  • used to move the camera.

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  • But in this episode,

  • we'll be going over what those movements are.

  • And the stories they tell.

  • This is episode six of "The Shot List".

  • Camera movement.

  • There are countless variations of camera movement

  • each with their own language and purpose.

  • A filmmaker who understands this language

  • can create dynamic and compelling work.

  • We'll be examining different types of camera movements.

  • Along the way, we'll be updating a shot list of these camera movements

  • in a StudioBinder shot list.

  • Which you can download and reference in your upcoming projects.

  • Now, let's get moving.

  • Let's begin with a shot that has no camera movement at all.

  • This is the Static Shot.

  • Static shots are commonly captured

  • by locking the camera to a tripod in a fixed position.

  • The result is a shot with zero camera movement.

  • This is great for dialogue.

  • "- What business is it of yours where I'm from...

  • ...friendo?"

  • Precise painterly compositions.

  • "- Redmond. Nice to see you."

  • Or shots that allow an actor's performance to shine.

  • "- I'm funny, how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you?

  • I make you laugh? I'm here to f*cking amuse you?

  • What do you mean, funny? Funny how? How am I funny?

  • - Get the f*ck out of here, Tommy.

  • - Motherf*cker! I almost had him! I almost had him!

  • You stuttering prick, you!"

  • Sometimes filmmakers use static shots to trap a character

  • and suggest their helplessness.

  • Like this moment from "Dunkirk".

  • In this scene from "12 Years of Slave",

  • the static shot holds on Solomon's lynching.

  • He is helpless

  • and we are not allowed to look away.

  • Its cruelty is amplified by stillness.

  • A moving camera

  • might've matched Solomon's panic,

  • but this static shot

  • with its neutral and cold perspective

  • is far more unsettling.

  • Let's move on to our next camera movement.

  • The Pan.

  • A pan rotates the camera horizontally,

  • Left or Right,

  • while remaining in a fixed location.

  • Pans can be used to follow a character's actions.

  • Or be used to reveal information.

  • Which is something, Wes Anderson does frequently.

  • "- 4 minutes, 48 seconds.

  • We're all dead. Burned to a crisp."

  • Moving on.

  • A slow pan builds anticipation.

  • While a rapid pan heightens the energy of a shot.

  • These are known as Whip Pans.

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  • Director Damien Chazelle uses whip pans

  • to create relationships between characters.

  • In "La La Land", he amps up the energy in the scene.

  • While underscoring the growing synergy

  • between Sebastian and Mia.

  • He uses the same technique

  • for a different effect in "Whiplash".

  • No pun intended.

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  • In the final scene, whip pans are precisely timed

  • with the give and take of the music.

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  • Accenting the combative relationship

  • between Andrew and Fletcher.

  • To learn more about whip pans,

  • check out our video,

  • where we break down how to use them to build energy

  • and transition through time and space.

  • Panning is ideal for horizontal movement.

  • But what about the vertical axis?

  • The tilt.

  • A tilt directs the camera upward or downward.

  • Filmmakers use tilts to capture the verticality of a film's world.

  • This can be used to give a character dominance.

  • Or vulnerability.

  • "- Yes, we're men.

  • Men is what we are."

  • Similar to a pan, a tilt can reveal information.

  • Like a character.

  • Setting.

  • Or scale.

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  • "- Who are the people?

  • - Projections in my subconscious.

  • - Yours. - Yes."

  • In "Inception", Ariadne tests how much of the dream world, she can distort.

  • "- My question is what happens when you start messing with the physics of it?"

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  • Nolan tilts up to capture the awe

  • and scale of this spectacular moment.

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  • The visceral effect of being on the street,

  • looking upward at such a spectacle

  • is accentuated with a simple camera tilt.

  • "- It's something, isn't it?

  • - Yes, it is."

  • Switching our attention from upward or downward,

  • our next camera movement takes us inward.

  • Push In.

  • The push in shot

  • moves the camera towards a subject.

  • Pushing the camera is all about emphasizing a moment.

  • "- Get our informers to find out where it's going to be held."

  • A visual cue to the audience

  • that this is important.

  • "- ...it's a public place. A bar, a restaurant.

  • Some place where there are people, so I feel safe.

  • But if Clemenza can figure out a way

  • to have a weapon planted there for me

  • then I'll kill them both."

  • You can push in on an external detail, such as an object.

  • Or text.

  • In doing so, filmmakers can direct our attention to a specific detail.

  • Or it can capture a character thought process.

  • Like in this moment from "The Post",

  • when Ben comes to terms

  • with exposing the infamous Pentagon papers.

  • A Push-in is an effective way to communicate internal conflict.

  • Like in the iconic restaurant scene in "The Godfather".

  • Michael Corleone is about to kill a man who tried to kill his father.

  • "- Your father is in bad shape."

  • It will be a life changing decision.

  • A point of no return into the underworld.

  • "- This fighting has to end."

  • A slow push in towards Michael elevates the tension,

  • as we watch him wrestle with the consequences

  • and gathering the courage to pull the trigger.

  • Which leads us to our next camera movement,

  • the opposite of the push in

  • is the Pull Out.

  • Unlike pushing in,

  • pulling the camera deemphasizes the subject.

  • A sort of signal to disconnect from the characters.

  • It can unveil the context of a scene.

  • Its setting.

  • Or its characters.

  • As subjects grew smaller,

  • a pull out can detach us from a scene.

  • Or the entire film.

  • Like in the final shot from "Catch Me If You Can".

  • The same movement can also emphasize

  • negative emotions like isolation.

  • Or abandonment.

  • In this scene from "Joker",

  • we see Arthur at his most vulnerable.

  • This camera movement away from him

  • highlights his helplessness

  • and rather than push in to help us sympathize with Arthur

  • director Todd Phillips pulls away, abandoning him.

  • Our next movement directs our attention

  • without moving the camera at all.

  • Enter the Zoom.

  • A zoom may not be a camera movement per se,

  • but there is movement created in camera.

  • Zoom shots change the focal length of the camera's lens.

  • To zoom in.

  • Or zoom out.

  • Similar to pulling back a camera

  • zooming out can reveal the context around a subject.

  • Like this opening shot from "The Graduate".

  • Zooms are unique

  • because there is no equivalent in the human experience.

  • Like a push in,

  • we can physically move closer to a subject,

  • but our eyes can't zoom

  • making this camera movement unnatural.

  • "- Shouldn't we give him to the authorities or something?

  • - No."

  • It can also draw our attention to a specific detail.

  • Many horror, thriller films

  • use a slow zoom to create uneasiness.

  • "- You said she's a conduit. - That's right.

  • - What does that mean?

  • - A very powerful demonic has latched itself onto her."

  • And Stanley Kubrick is a master of this technique.

  • This iconic shot from "The Shining"

  • slowly zooms in to highlight

  • Jack's descent into madness.

  • The use of a zoom doesn't stop there.

  • A fast zoom is known as a Crash Zoom.

  • Crush zooms can often be used for either dramatic

  • or comedic effect.

  • In "Django Unchained",

  • Quentin Tarantino uses the crash zoom repeatedly.

  • For comedy.

  • "- Just seems like a good bit of fun."

  • Drama.

  • Or both.

  • "- No! Calvin!"

  • Now what happens when you pair the in-camera movement of a zoom

  • with physical movements of a camera?

  • It's none other then the Dolly Zoom.

  • A Dolly Zoom utilizes both a dolly movement

  • and lens zoom

  • to create something called the vertigo effect.

  • Named after its dramatic use in Hitchcock's "Vertigo".

  • A dolly zoom can be done two different ways.

  • The first is by dollying in

  • while zooming out.

  • This causes the background to grow in size

  • while maintaining the scale of the foreground.

  • This is commonly used to portray conflict in a shot

  • either internal.

  • "- It broke my heart to put that tumor in her head.

  • - What?"

  • Or external conflict.

  • The second way is by dollying out

  • while zooming in.

  • This causes the foreground subject to become dominant over the background.

  • The dolly zoom can be used to highlight a growing relationship

  • between two subjects.

  • Like in this scene from "Raging Bull"

  • where Scorsese slows everything down.

  • "- Come on. Come on."

  • The Dolly zoom pushes the crowd further into the background,

  • as we occupy Jake's POV

  • and battered tunnel vision.

  • We are no longer watching a fight.

  • We are in it.

  • In "Bohemian Rhapsody",

  • the dolly zoom draws the audience closer to Freddy

  • as a way to create intimacy

  • between one musician

  • and his adoring fans.

  • DP Newton Thomas Sigel

  • explains why they chose to use the dolly zoom for this shot.

  • "- The camera continues to come around him

  • and we're still in this wide lens.

  • So as we come around,

  • you can see that the audience is very far from him.

  • But now, he's beginning to come into his own.

  • The audience is coming into it.

  • And by using the dolly zoom,

  • we're bringing the audience closer and closer and closer.

  • Freddie is not getting any bigger in the frame,

  • but the audience is getting closer

  • simply by changing the focal length of the lens

  • and the proximity of the camera to the subject."

  • A dolly zoom can be a versatile choice

  • in any shot list

  • to convey either positive

  • or negative psychological effects.

  • Our next camera movement is a rotation known as

  • The Camera Roll.

  • A roll turns the camera on its long axis

  • while maintaining the direction of the lens.

  • A camera roll is disorienting,

  • unsettling our equilibrium.

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  • Rolls can be used to match character movement

  • in moments of panic.

  • Or conflict.

  • Camera rolls can be disconcerting.

  • Like when a villain assumes the throne.

  • They can also be used to visually reinforce theme.

  • Like in this moment from "The Dark Knight".

  • "- Oh, you.

  • - You just couldn't let me go, could you?

  • This is what happens when an unstoppable force...

  • ...meets an immovable object."

  • The Joker is captured,

  • strung upside down and defenseless.

  • But as the camera slowly rolls over,

  • he reveals that he still has the upper hand.

  • "- What did you do?

  • - I took Gotham's white knight...

  • ...and I brought him down to our level."

  • This reversal of power

  • is matched with a simple,

  • yet meaningful camera roll.

  • With great effect

  • a camera roll can accent movement

  • or dramatic shifts in the narrative.

  • Let's move on to our next camera movement.

  • The tracking shot.

  • A tracking shot physically moves the camera through a scene.

  • Typically following a subject.

  • Tracking shots differ from push ins

  • or pull outs.

  • Because they don't simply move toward

  • or away from a subject.

  • They move with a subject.

  • The subjects are on the move

  • and the camera tracks with them

  • wherever they go.

  • When done purposefully, they generate two questions.

  • Where is this character going?

  • And what will happen when they get there?

  • This is perfect for long takes that are meant to immerse the audience

  • directly into a scene.

  • Like in this long take from "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri".

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  • Director Martin McDonagh ops to use a handheld tracking shot

  • to create a visceral documentary-style effect.

  • It also draws our attention to specific actions,

  • like when we see officer Dixon

  • flip his gun at the last moment

  • deciding to not shoot.

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  • "- What the hell is going on?"

  • ♪ ♪

  • Tracking shots can also be used to build tension.

  • Gus van Sant's "Elephant"

  • is filled with extensive tracking shots.

  • They follow the murderers and the victims

  • of a tragic school shooting.

  • The smooth, steady cam shots

  • accent the seemingly endless corridors

  • that allow dreadful anticipation

  • of the impending massacre.

  • So a tracking shot either follows

  • or leads a subject.

  • But when the camera moves laterally, left or right

  • it is referred to as

  • a Trucking Shot.

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  • "- Morning, Gadge.

  • - Morning, sir."

  • In this scene from "Moonrise Kingdom",

  • Wes Anderson continuously

  • trucks the camera right.

  • To follow scoutmaster Ward

  • through his morning inspection of Camp Ivanhoe.

  • "- Latrine inspection."

  • By doing so,

  • Anderson establishes both a world of the film

  • and its characters

  • in storybook fashion.

  • "- Roosevelt, how's that lanyard coming?

  • - Horrible."

  • To learn more about how to shoot better tracking shots,

  • watch our video, where we explore how to combine

  • this movement with location,

  • production design,

  • and blocking to create a powerful effect.

  • The link is in the description.

  • Tracking shots can be engaging

  • by following the actions of a character.

  • But how do you create energy in a shot

  • where characters are standing still.

  • Consider the arc shot.

  • The arc shot is a camera movement

  • that orbits around a subject.

  • This orbit is typically a horizontal arc.

  • But it can also be vertical.

  • Arc shots add dynamic movement

  • when characters may be standing completely still.

  • Like in this hero shot from "The Avengers",

  • which unifies them as a single unit

  • against surrounding threats.

  • Arc shots keep our focus centralized on the subject

  • for moments of intimacy.

  • Panic.

  • Or heroism.

  • And what about this shot from "The Dark Knight"?

  • What kind of effect does the arc shot create?

  • "- As soon as your office got involved...

  • - My office?

  • You're sitting down there with scum like..."

  • The arc shot underscores the tension

  • and reeling panic between Gordon and Dent.

  • "- Don't try and cloud the fact that clearly Maroni's got people in your office, Dent."

  • And the tension only comes to a stop,

  • once our hero poses a solution.

  • "- If I get him to you, can you get him to talk?

  • - I'll get him to sing."

  • When the speed of an arc shot is amplified,

  • it can create a dizzying effect,

  • reflect of character's mental state.

  • Like in "City of God",

  • when Rocket is caught in the middle of a standoff.

  • Now that we've analyzed how to move a camera left.

  • Right.

  • In.

  • Out and around.

  • Let's take a look at how we move the camera vertically

  • with the Boom Shot.

  • A Boom Shot moves a camera up

  • or down.

  • Utilizing a crane, jib, or pedestal.

  • Small boom movements are coming to use to reveal information.

  • While large boom movements

  • can be used to follow characters in the action.

  • Or to capture the world surrounding them.

  • " - Quickly! Move it up, Pyle! Move it up!"

  • In this scene, from "Full Metal Jacket",

  • Stanley Kubrick uses a boom shot

  • to follow Private Pile up an obstacle

  • while Sergeant Hartman berates him.

  • "- Private Pyle, whatever you do, don't fall down!

  • That would break my f*cking heart!"

  • The reveal of Hartman at the top has a comedic effect,

  • but the real purpose of the shot

  • is to reinforce Pile's mental state.

  • "- Get up and over!

  • Move it, move it!

  • Are you quitting on me?

  • Well, are you?

  • Then quit..."

  • In a single take, Kubrick booms up

  • to follow Pile's hopeful attempt.

  • And booms down

  • phase inevitable defeat.

  • "- Now! Move it!

  • I'm going to rip your balls off

  • so you can't contaminate the rest of the world!

  • I will motivate you, Private Pyle...

  • ...if it short-dicks every cannibal on the Congo!"

  • Most camera movements are highly precise.

  • Controlled.

  • But sometimes filmmakers want to produce movement without control.

  • Which brings us to our final camera movement.

  • Random movement.

  • Random camera movement is defined by camera shake,

  • incidental zooms,

  • or any movement that happens on the fly.

  • Camera shake is often added subtly

  • to create a subjective experience

  • for more intimate effect.

  • Arbitrary zooms and random camera movement

  • can be used stylistically to create a documentary look.

  • "- Institutions treat these CDOs like they're as solid as treasury bonds,

  • and they're going to zero."

  • Which is a technique

  • that Adam McKay uses in "The Big Short".

  • "- You're managing a fund of, what, $555 million?

  • - I don't know how to be funny.

  • I don't know how to work people.

  • I just know how to read numbers."

  • And "Succession".

  • "- Have you thought about the possibility that

  • your children are actually scared of you?

  • - Oh, f*ck off."

  • Random movement gives the impression

  • that events are happening in real-time

  • when nothing is planned

  • and anything can happen.

  • "- Throw your gun down!

  • - I visited your home this morning...

  • After you'd left."

  • This climactic scene from David Fincher's "Se7en"

  • has two types of shots.

  • Controlled.

  • And chaotic.

  • "- What's he talking about?

  • - Give me your gun. - What's going on over there?

  • Put the, ugh... Put the gun down.

  • - I saw you with a box. What was in the box?"

  • Notice how each shot

  • reflects the state of mind of each character.

  • Mills' panic.

  • "- You tell me that's not true. That's not true."

  • And John Doe's calm.

  • By mixing these styles in the same scene,

  • the effect of both is intensified.

  • Now that we've covered all of the camera movements

  • that filmmakers have at their disposal,

  • let's take a look at how multiple camera movements

  • can be combined in a single scene.

  • In this scene from "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker",

  • director JJ Abrams uses a variety of camera movements

  • to keep the scene thrilling and engaging.

  • We've attempted to pinpoint each movement.

  • Watch the scene closely

  • and see if you can spot every type of camera movement.

  • "- Rey!"

  • So, did you identify all of the different camera movements?

  • Planning out a scene with various types of camera movements can be daunting.

  • But using shot listing tools like StudioBinder

  • makes it a straightforward process.

  • While there are countless examples of camera movement in film,

  • remember that the best uses are always intentional.

  • In the next episode of the shot list,

  • we'll explore camera lenses.

  • And how choosing the right lens

  • is essential for executing a perfect shot.

  • Subscribe, click the bell,

  • and we'll see you in the next episode.

  • ♪ ♪

Films are made up of sequences.

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