BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Movement in
Cinematography:
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Using Movement in A Movie

How to show a movement?
Just to keep the camera still and let the action
happen in front of it is the best way to show subtle
movements.

Camera staying in one place can pan sideways or

tilt up or down.
Moving the whole camera looks better, though:
tracking in builds intensity, tracking out
reveals more of a scene, and tracking sideways
follows action.
Camera can be moved on a dolly or stabilizer, or
even handheld. It can be raised above the action
on a crane or jib.

Movement will give a life to film. Most shots

should have some kind of movement in them,
even if it’s very slight.
Either things should be moving in front of a static
camera, or the camera itself should be moving.
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Static camera
If there’s interesting movement within the picture – like milling crowds of people, falling leaves
or clouds moving – a camera should be completely still (using a locked tripod).
Viewers will see the movement a filmmaker want to show and won’t be distracted by the camera moving.
It’s usually best to keep the camera still when showing important details and facial expressions.
If a character is moving and a closeup is needed, it’s easiest to plan a sequence so that they pause at the
point in the action when they need to cut to the closeup.
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Moving subjects
People can move in various different directions: left to right (‘along the X axis’), up or down (‘along the
Y axis’), towards or away from the camera (‘the Z axis’). All of these have different meanings.
Moving closer builds involvement (or threat); moving left to right is ‘natural’ for a main character on a
journey; moving upwards suggests a struggle.
So if a character is moving diagonally upwards from left to right – like Rocky running up the steps of
the Lincoln Memorial – they’re heroically overcoming a challenge.
Moving diagonally downwards, on the other hand, suggests uncontrolled, headlong flight.
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Moving the camera

The coolest camera moves are where the camera itself moves.
These tracking, arc or crane shots look more interesting than shots where the camera stays in one
place and pans (turns) sideways or tilts up or down.
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Tracking shots
In tracking shots, the camera itself moves forwards, backwards or sideways.
Filmmakers can track in (move forwards) to move through a space, to build intensity in a closeup, to
follow a character, or to show what a they’re seeing (a point of view shot).
A track out (backwards) can reveal more of a scene, or a character can follow the moving camera.
Tracking shots usually look better if a wide angle lens is used.

They can use a sideways tracking shot or crab to scan across a scene or to travel alongside a moving
subject.
A wheelchair, a trolley or skateboard might come handy as the tracking shots will be smoother.

Pro way is to use mechanical stabilizer like a Steadicam or Glidecam – a balanced rig that
smooths out a body movements – an electronic gimbal stabilizer, or a system like
the Glidetrack which lets them run the camera on rails.
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Sequence shots
Sequence shots are where filmmakers use continuous camera movement instead of editing the shot.
Those kind of shots have to be planned in a lot of details.
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Crane shots
Crane shots move the camera vertically, above or across the action.
Used are often jibs – some of them, for small cameras, are fairly inexpensive – but they are big and
cumbersome to transport. With phones and lightweight cameras, filmmakers can shoot crane shots by
mounting a handheld stabilizer on a boom pole.
BASIC CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNER FILMMAKERS

Aerial shots
Doing aerial shots has got much more affordable with drones. Good drone shots take skill, though, and
a drone operator needs to be careful about safety.
There are a lot of legal restrictions on them which vary between countries and states.