Camera Movements

Gabor Smith, InstructorThe University of Akron, School of Communication

gds4@zips.uakron.edu

Camera Movements

• 1) Tilt• 2) Pan• 3) Cant• 4) Zoom• 5) Dolly• 6) Truck or Track• 7) Arc• 8) Crane or Boom• 9) Tongue

Tilt

• Camera movement in a vertical plane. (up or down), which means to gradually point the camera up or down. If you want to show a tall building but you can't get it all in your shot, you might start at the bottom of the building and go up to the top.

Pan

• A shot taken moving on a horizontal plane (from left to right, right to). If you want to show a Frisbee flying across a field, you might use this shot to follow the Frisbee from one person to another.

• Pan Right (clockwise) / Pan Left (counter clockwise).

Cant

• Tilting the camera sideways on the camera person’s shoulder.

• A Cant alters the horizon line.• Can not be performed using a tripod or a camera

mount. • Cant left/ Cant right.

Pedestal• Elevating or lowering the camera on the center column of

the tripod or studio pedestal. • Pedestal up / Pedestal down

Dolly• Using a mobile camera mount to move toward or away

from your subject. • Dolly in: Moving toward the subject. • Dolly out: Moving away from the subject.

Truck or Track

• Moving the camera on a lateral line, left or right, while keeping the lens pointed in the same direction.

• Think of the subject walking down the street and the camera following, as if walked next to the actor.

• Track left / Track right

Arc

• Moving the camera on a curved dolly track or truck movement.

• Think of a train on a crescent-shaped track.• Arc right / Arc left

Crane or Boom• Moving the camera up or down on a crane or jib arm.• You can crane up or crane down.

Cranes vs. Jib Arms

Cranes vs. Jib Arms

Super Techno Crane

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb6NqHHOR4M

Tongue

• Moving the camera left or right on a jib arm or crane.• Tongue left / Tongue right.• Usually combined with a boom up or boom down.

Zoom

• Adjusting the focal length of the lens to change a shot.

• Calibrate the zoom lens• Zoom in: Go from a wide-shot to a close-up.• Zoom out: Go from a close-up to a wide-shot.

Dolly In / Zoom Out: The Vertigo Shot

• Zooming out widens the camera's field of view, making things "shrink". If you physically move the camera toward the subject at the same time as you zoom out, the subject will stay the same size but the background will appear to shrink in size. This produces both an intense focus on the subject's expression (horror), as well as producing a disorienting effect. This disorientation helps to communicate the subject's own confusion as the unexpected happens.

Camera Mounts

• 1) Handheld• 2) Tripod• 3) Pedestal• 4) Dolly• 5) Special devices

Handheld• Avoid as much movement as possible. • With small cameras, put the camera in the palm of your

hand (or strap it to one hand) and support it with the other.• Keep your elbow in toward your body.• Keep the camera in a wide shot.• Keep it short.

Tripods• Tripods are the best way to ensure

a steady shot.• Have three legs that can be

adjusted and lock at variable heights.

• All tripods have a head for mounting the camera.

• The head can be adjusted to change the speed of a pan or tilt.

Tripod Dolly

For smooth surfaces only.

Dolly/Field Dolly• Same as a regular dolly, but used more on location where

surfaces aren’t smooth. • Has four wheels with a steering mechanism.• The wheels can have several settings.• Can also be placed on a track for smoother dolly

movements.

Studio Pedestal• Pedestals are sturdy enough to hold a

heavy studio camera, monitor and teleprompter.

• Many have wheels for moving around the studio.

• Most major news stations have motorized pedestals with remote controls.

Special Mounts• Steadicam is a special body cam mount allowing freedom

of movement. • Steadicam Jr. • Vehicle camera mount.

Camera Operation• White balancing• Focus• Aperture• Shutter Speed• Zooming

White Balance• Light can have different colors, known as color

temperature.• Indoor light can look orange or red, outdoor light can

appear blue. • White balancing is adjusting the camera’s colors to the

color temperature against a white sheet of paper.

White Balance• By white balancing, you are giving the camera a

reference of what is to be considered white.• White balancing adjusts the colors.• When do I need to white balance the camera?– Every time you change to a different location.– Every time the lighting conditions change.

OK Gabor, I got it! How do I White Balance????

• Take a white piece of paper (you can also use a white shirt, or anything that is white).

• Zoom all the way in so the only thing that you see in the viewfinder is white (no shadows or other elements getting inside the shot).

• Focus.• Perform the white balance operation. When it’s finished,

zoom out.• Make sure you white balanced in the exact place where

you will be shooting! And remember, you need to do this every time you change locations or lighting conditions change.

Focus• Can be manual or automatic (which I know you will

avoid).• Focus can be used for dramatic purposes, such as soft focus. • Many professional cameras must be focused manually using

a focus ring.

Rack Focus

• In Rack Focus, the shot has two objects. One object is in the background and one is in the foreground. The object in the background is in focus while the object in the foreground is out of focus.

• To Rack Focus, move the focus ring so that the object in the background goes out of focus while the object in the foreground comes into focus.

• Or just the opposite, the background is out of focus while the object in the foreground is in focus. Move the focus ring so the object in the background comes into focus while the object in the foreground goes out of focus.

Rack Focus

Tip: The Rack Focus can be used to provide additional information in the shot. The focus could be on the subject in the foreground. The focus then racks to the background to show danger coming from behind.

Rack Focus

Focus• Many studio pedestals have a

manual focus control on the panning handle.

• Focus is determined by the distance between the camera and the subject.

• If both the camera and the subject will be a consistent distance apart, the lens can be preset.

• This is done by calibrating the lens.

Calibrating the Zoom Lens• 1) Set the camera for manual focus.• 2) Zoom in all the way on your subject. • 3) Get the image into focus and set it.• 4) Zoom out.• 5) Assuming the camera and subject don’t move, you

should be able to zoom in a and out of the image and maintain constant focus.

Aperture• As discussed before, an adjustable opening in the lens that allows or

constricts light in the camera.• Measured in f-stops.• Most professional cameras allow manual aperture settings on the

camera’s exterior.• Some consumer cameras allow aperture selection in an electronic

menu.

Shutter Speed• The shutter speed can be changed to

prevent more light from coming into the lens or to alter the way moving objects are being shot.

• Shutter speed is measure in fractions of a second.

• The longer the shutter is “open” the more light is being let in.

Zooming• Can take the image from a wide shot to a close up or close

to wide.

• Avoid erratic zooming.

Can change the focus on an object or the depth of field.

Camera Care

• Keep it dry.• Keep it at room temperature.• Keep in in the carrying case when not in use.• Don’t leave it alone on the tripod.• Don’t touch the lens.• Please don’t drop it.• For the love of God, don’t drop it.