Read our article to gain a clear understanding of the key types of camera movements with examples and guidance on how to use them effectively. A must-have for video creators and filmmakers, along with our lens recommendations.
Introduction:
Ask any veteran videographer, and they might share the secret recipe of every worthy video content is its storytelling, which pulls in viewers’ attention. However, the story isn’t everything, as many other technicalities also come into play here.
One of them is the camera movements you implement for every scene. Choosing an appropriate camera movement in your videos is a skill that takes some time to develop, but will surely enhance your filmmaking impact on the audience.
In essence, it’s all about how you introduce every scene in a context and follow the subject through the story while establishing a deep connection with your viewers. Here are the essential types of camera movements with examples that you need to know to manage them effectively.
Types of Camera Movements:
1. Pan Shot
A very common transitioning technique between two scenes, where the videographer's camera is anchored in place (usually on a video tripod) and moves by sweeping horizontally across the scene from right to left or vice versa. When done fast, we get whip or swish pans, which almost resemble motion blur in the transitions.
2. Camera Roll
Commonly used in early filmmaking, this technique involves the literal rolling of the camera and deliberately disorients the viewer, generating a sense of uneasiness, and is not overused for this reason.
3. Tilt Shot
As the name suggests, this shot can be made by placing your camera on a tripod and sweeping it either downwards or upwards. It is sometimes confused with pan shots, which refer to horizontal movement, whereas a tilt shot involves vertical movement.
4. Pedestal Shot
This one is similar to tilt shots but differs in that the movement in the frame is achieved by the entire camera, which moves vertically up or down without changing its angle or distance. In the title, you are only changing the camera angle, not its position. Such shots are usually used to unveil something in a scene.
5. Aerial Shot
A decade ago, if we had talked about these shots, you would have needed a helicopter for them, but now drones have made them easy and affordable. Aerial shots are used when viewers need to see the environment in a frame from a bird's-eye perspective in a vast space.
6. Zoom Shot
As the name suggests, this shot utilizes a zoom effect achieved through a change of focal lengths, creating the appearance of moving closer to or further from a subject without physically moving the camera.
7. Dolly Shot
This shot is achieved by physically moving the entire camera body forward or backward. This shot is often confused with the zoom shot, but it differs from it in both technicality and feel. The dolly shot utilizes the actual movement of the camera, whereas the zoom shot employs a change in focal lengths, resulting in the image either magnifying or demagnifying.
8. Steadicam
Also known by the terms "stabilized," "floating cam," and "tracking shots,” this type of shooting allows for a far greater motion range than dolly or truck shots, literally tracking the subject during the scene with more movements than the dolly or zoom. The camera is attached to the camera operator, which allows dynamic movement through the scene.
9. Handheld Movement
Commonly used when shooting emergency, assault, and combat scenes, it introduces jerkiness and unpredictability in the frame to engage the audience more deeply and immerse them in the scene.
10. Truck Shot
They are very much similar to dolly shots but differ in that the camera moves horizontally instead of forward or backward. To capture truck shots, your camera must be rigged and moved horizontally along a track. It has to be ensured that the final shot is free of jerking or friction to create a smooth motion track.
11. Static Shot
Yes, we are discussing types of camera movements with examples here, but knowing when to go static is equally important. You need to go static with your shooting, using a fixed camera on a tripod, when you want to bring an intensity of focus to your scenes, allowing your audience to concentrate entirely on what you are conveying. This may seem simple in words, but newcomers to the content creation industry will be surprised at how often it is overlooked.
Professional Lens for Dynamic Movements
In the competitive creative world of filmmaking, professionals need camera hardware and its lenses to meet cinematic standards. Unlike the unjustified price tags of the competition, the SIRUI AURORA Series 35mm F1.4 Full-frame Autofocus Lens is a fantastic option this year for fluid, expressive movement.
Designed with a super-fast maximum declickable aperture of f/1.4 and a wide aperture, the Aurora enables filmmakers to shoot from environmental context in tracking or cinematic pan shots to tight close-ups in an arc or push-in, all with one lens. Smooth autofocus with advanced STM motors makes it suitable for shots like dolly and pushing, and the improved aspherical optics capture ultra-crisp video and stills that rival the quality of much more expensive lenses this year.
Wrapping Up
We went through the basic types of camera movements with examples, but there are many more specialty movements as well. To achieve cinematic results beyond static shots and truly harness the power of cinematic motion, the SIRUI Aurora 35mm lens is a strong recommendation this year.
