Site icon TrinityDigitalMedia.com

Complex camera movements | Tech, No Babel

Complex camera movements

Listen to the audio:

On today’s Tech, No Babel: Complex camera movements

Most people know about zoom, pan, and tilt, but when you combine these together and add in dolly movements, you can get some really interesting shots.

[tweet “You know pan, tilt, and zoom, but how about these complex movements?”]

Let’s start with the zoom. A lot of people don’t think of it as that complex, but it really is. When you zoom, if you don’t tilt as well, the subject will stay where she is and the headroom will increase radically. To keep her eyes on the top third, you need to tilt down. That’s what makes a simple zoom a complex camera movement.

It doesn’t stop there though.

When you pan, why not add in a zoom to either include more people into the shot or exclude them from the shot, keeping one side of the frame basically static.

For even more complex camera movements, add in a dolly. As you remember, a forward and backward movement is called a dolly and the left right movement is called a truck.

Now, combine one of these with either a tilt or a pan. If you do a truck pan, the background will seem to move behind the subject.

If you do a dolly tilt, the subject will seem to grow in importance in relation to the background.

Now, for some real fun (and a hard shot that needs lots of practice), try a DIZO. Alfred Hitchock used this shot to great effect in _Vertigo_. With a DIZO, you dolly in and zoom out at a speed that keeps the subject the same size, but the background seems to separate from him. The opposite shot, the DOZI (dolly out zoom in), also does some interesting things.

For examples of what to do, watch the video above.

So, how about you? Have you ever used these complex shots in church? How did it go? If you’ve got any stories, leave them below.

If you’d like to chip in a few bucks, anything you do is appreciated. Just click this link to donate.

About this show:

If you do video or graphic design to advance your church’s mission, this show is for you.

How to Subscribe to the show (for free):

Subscribe on YouTube

For more questions, comments, or snide remarks, comment below or contact me at:
Facebook or Twitter
More video can be found on YouTube.com
Also check out my Google+ page

Exit mobile version