Camera Movement Meanings

Camera movements have a big impact to films they can portray and enforce many things depending on what you are trying to do. They can range from zooming in or out to portray emphasis or they may use a certain angle to show power or lack their of. Here are a few of movements and how they may contribute.

Crane Down: This shot can be used as a way of introducing a viewer to the scene or character or it can portray the size of an object or show just how small a person may be to such and object.

Crane High to Low: Similar to crane down except this shot is used to emphasize a character to show authority and fear

Handheld Camera:This type of shot is used to convey danger or fear. Some may even this type of shot a lot especially if they have a type of crewman character. The fact that the camera is shaking is what changes things up since throughout the movie a camera usually is in a still manner.

Quick Pan: A quick pan can be used to show a quick change in emotion. Such as revealing a unexpected character that seemed to pop out of nowhere.

Quick Push In: This camera action also conveys fear or shock by quickly zooming into the characters face.

Slow Dolly In: This shot can create tension or try and show us how the character is feeling at the moment.

Slow Dolly Out: Like the dolly in except instead of tension it can make the viewer feel the character as isolated and empathy.

Dolly Across: This shot can reveal a change of emotion depending on what the emphasis is being shown as.

Glidecam Camera: This shot can create a idea that the action at hand is important and/or epic. If you were to do the same thing with a handheld camera it may seem like a more edgy or dangerous event.

Glidecam 360 Reveal: This type of shot can convey an upcoming problem, something big ahead of the characters that they are getting prepared to face about ready to head into.

Zolly: A zolly is a zoom mixed with a dolly, using this can make a background get bigger or smaller while leaving the character the same size to really convey importance, giving a emotional feeling.