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".