Production: The Necessity of Camera Movement
Camera movement is an element of film and video production sometimes highly overlooked today. With the invention of the zoom lens, the physical movement of the camera and tripod location has changed and evolved. Often it is easier and less labor intensive to simply “zoom in” rather than moving the camera itself. The truth is that a zoom and physical camera movement are two very different things and have different visual appeal.
“Zooming in” with a lens can be compared to standing in one spot to look at a subject and then without moving from that spot, using binoculars to look at the same subject. The perspective of the subject doesn’t change but the field of view certainly does. Yes, you do see things closer but it’s from the very same perspective.
Now let’s look at the art of camera movement. There are several types of camera support equipment that could be used. A camera dolly, a camera jib and a Steadicam are just a few examples of different pieces of equipment that are very often used in production. By using one of these devices, the camera physically takes the viewer along “for the ride” as the perspective of the subject changes and evolves. You are able to move in and around or even past objects in the foreground and bring the subject “to” the viewer while also changing their perspective of it.
A dolly is a cart which moves along tracks. The camera is mounted on the dolly and records the shot as it moves. Dolly shots have several applications and can provide very dramatic footage. Some dollies can also operate without tracks. This provides the greatest degree of movement, assuming of course that a smooth surface is available. Special dollies are available for location work and are designed to work within location limitations such as doorway width.
The dolly faced serious competition when the Steadicam was invented. Most shots previously only possible with a dolly could now be done with the more versatile Steadicam. A Steadicam is a stabilizing mount for a camera mounted to a harness worn by the camera operator which mechanically isolates the operator’s movement from the camera, allowing a very smooth shot even when the operator is moving quickly over an uneven surface.
A camera crane or jib can come in different styles. The crane enables the camera operator to ride on a platform along with the camera. A jib is designed to keep the operator on the ground and control the camera movement with remote controls. Both offer beautiful rising, sweeping and majestic camera movements most often associated with high budget feature films.
So if you want your production to look and feel interesting, have high production value and be more visually exciting and appealing, consider incorporating different types of camera movement into your next project.
For more information on camera movement visit the Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
