Instructor: Kathy Cennamo
Hints for Camera Movement
If you look closely when watching TV, you'll see there aren't many camera movements. Instead, TV creates the illusion of camera movement by cutting between wide shots and close ups of the same image. Often you should do the same thing: it may be better to move your body instead of the camera. But if you want to move the camera or the camera lens, there are several basic rules that you should follow. The zoom is easy to use, so we'll use the zoom to illustrate the following rules. However, the rules are also applicable to all of the camera movements you saw in the Previous section. They are just as true for pans and tilts, for instance, as they are for zooms. If you must use camera movement, it's best to follow some rules:
- Compose the entire shot sequence. If you want to add camera movement, compose the entire shot sequence, paying attention to how it will begin and end. Rehearse difficult shots, especially those that require tricky camera moves. And remember to get basic establishing shots
- Don't move the camera unless there is a reason. If you want to show both the whole scene as well as some close-up details, you don't need to record your camera movement. Instead, shoot a "wide shot", stop recording, zoom in to a "close-up" then start recording again. The result is one shot which cuts cleanly and quickly to another, portraying the same information as a zoom, but more efficiently.
- Start and stop each camera movement with a stationary shot. If you plan to edit the footage, start with about five seconds of a stationary shot. Zoom in or out. At the end of the zoom, hold the "new" shot for at least five seconds. This practice will provide you with more options when editing.
- Move your camera or lens slowly. Your camera movements should be almost imperceptible. Zoom in or out slowly. Pan slowly. Tilt slowly. You get the idea.
- Use a tripod
when zoomed in. Zooming
in magnifies all camera movements. So the further you zoom in,
the shakier your shots. With very tight zooms, a tripod
is essential. If you are not using a tripod, get close to
the action and keep the lens zoomed out. This way you'll have
essentially the same framing, but much steadier images.
|
Zoom-in with hand held camera
|
Zoom-in with camera on tripod
|
