Camera shots-movement

In todays lesson we looked at camera movement and how they are used and some of the equipment needed to film these shots.

 In todays lesson we watched a video of the different types of camera movement and the techniques and equipment involved when using the camera. Good camera movement can enhance the emotion of a scene and reveal elements that are off screen and can help the viewer feel like part of the action.

Tracking shot/travelling shot/dollying shot
Terms used for a shot when the camera is being moved by means of wheels:

• on a dolly (a low tracking shot)
• in a car
• or even a train.

The movement is normally quite fluid (except perhaps in some of the wider car chases) and the tracking can be either fast or slow. Depending on the speed, this shot has different connotations, eg:

• like a dream or trance if excessively slow
• bewildering and frightening if excessively frenetic

A tracking shot can go

• backwards
• left to right
• right to left
• in to out

The way in which a person is framed in that shot has a specific meaning, (for example, if the camera holds a person in the frame but that person is at one extreme or other of the frame, this could suggest a sense of imprisonment).

Camera Pan

A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a central axis. This is a swivelling movement, i.e. mounted in a fixed location on a tripod or shoulder.
Pan: Moving the camera lens to one side or another. Look to your left, then look to your right - that's panning

Pedestal

 Moving the camera up or down without changing its vertical or horizontal axis. A camera operator can do two types of pedestals: pedestal up means "move the camera up;" pedestal down means "move the camera down." You are not tilting the lens up, rather you are moving the entire camera up. Imagine your camera is on a tripod and you're raising or lowering the tripod head (this is exactly where the term comes from).

Tilt
Moving the cameras lens up or down while keeping its horizontal axis constant. Nod your head up and down - this is tilting

Zoom
Zooming is one camera move that most people are probably familiar with. It involves changing the focal length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or further away in the frame. Most video cameras today have built-in zoom features. Some have manual zooms as well, and many have several zoom speeds. Zooming is one of the most frequently-used camera moves and one of the most overused, therefore must use it very carefully.