Camera angles and the way a camera moves is tremendously important – just ask your favourite influencer. But we’re not here to discuss the catfish and selfies of social media, we’re here to explore the camera techniques used in the film industry.
As film buffs ourselves, we appreciate the significance of camera movements and the role they play in visual storytelling. Which is why we’ve taken on the task of teaching you everything you need to know about camera movements, shots and angles before you get your shot list and film treatment ready to pitch to Hollywood.
You can thank us in that future Oscars speech of yours.
Types of Camera Movements & Angles
- Zoom
- Tilt
- Pan
- Dolly Zoom
- Truck
1. Zoom
Now, we’re not about to explain to you smartphone users what the term ‘zoom’ means, lest you feel patronised; but we will explore the reasons why directors choose to use zoom in their movies.
Usually, zoom is used to allow the audience to view an object in more detail – whether that be the colours of a bird's feathers or the expressions on an actor’s face.
But, on occasion, zoom is used for dramatic effect. Take Quentin Tarantino’s signature use of zoom, for example. The auteur's quirky style of directing involves zooming in a disruptive and cartoonish manner to dramatically focus on a detail or character, or to swiftly shift the story from one place to another.
Check out Tarantino’s use of zoom in Django Unchained (2012) below.
2. Tilt
Our next self-explanatory camera movement on the list is tilt, which – as one would expect – describes the up and down tilting motion of a camera.
The tilt camera movement is frequently used to add an element of surprise, revealing something pivotal to the audience.
One of our favourite uses of tilt – and one of the most famous uses of tilt of all time – is in the opening scene of the first Star Wars film, A New Hope.
In the film's opening scene, the camera tilts down from a familiar shot of stars and a moon to reveal an alien planet that’s soon to be shadowed by Darth Vader’s mean-looking star destroyer.
This scene is also an establishing shot (something we’ll discuss a little later on) as it informs the audience that this spaceship is where the next scene is about to take place.
Watch the opening scene of Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) below.
3. Pan
Now for a more ‘film school’ term. The pan is a horizontal camera movement that either follows the action of a narrative or reveals more of a scene. For this movement, the camera remains still on its axis.
Although pan is considered to be one of the more basic types of camera movements, it can be used in a range of unique ways to add a touch of je ne sais quoi to a movie. And, like most things in life, the pan is best demonstrated by the one and only Mr Wes Anderson.
Just look at this collection of creative pan shots in his award-winning flick The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) below.
4. Dolly Zoom
A dolly zoom camera movement is one that smoothly moves towards the subject using, unsurprisingly, a dolly – the film industry term for a wheeled cart.
So, what’s the difference between a zoom and a dolly zoom? We hear you ask.
In a nutshell, a zoom uses the digital or optical zoom to close in on a subject, whereas a dolly zoom involves the camera moving physically closer to the subject. Check out the dolly zoom used in Vertigo here:
And, if you’re wondering what difference that makes visually, a dolly zoom makes the audience feel like they’re walking towards the subject in focus.
Or, if used for dramatic effect, the dolly zoom camera movement can create an optical illusion that makes the background of a scene look as though it’s getting wider.
This illusion was first used by Hancock in his 1958 classic Vertigo. For this reason, the dolly zoom is said to create a ‘vertigo effect’.
And see it later used by Stephen Spielberg in Jaws (1975) here:
5. Truck
Like the dolly movement, the truck is a fixed camera movement; but instead of moving forwards and backwards, the truck moves from left to right or, less commonly, right to left. Again, this involves the use of a wheeled cart or a motion track.
To help you gain a further understanding of the truck camera movement, check out this scene from Shame (2011) below.
Types of Camera Shots
- Wide Shot
- Medium Shot
- Close Up Shot
- Extreme Close Up Shot
- Establishing Shot
- Aerial Shot
- Low Angle Shot
- Over the Shoulder Shot
- Point of View Shot
- Rack Focus Shot
5. Wide Shot
A wide shot (AKA a full shot; AKA a long shot) provides the audience with a complete look at a character and their surroundings. Wide shots are used in films of varying genres for many different reasons.
In a car-centric blockbuster, a wide shot may be used to fit all of action into one scene; in a superhero film, a wide shot may be used to demonstrate the speed in which a hero can fly around the world; and in a fantasy epic, a wide shot may be used to display the vastness of a war or battle.
6. Medium Shot
A medium shot is, as the name implies, the perfect middle – which is why it’s been used religiously for over 100 years.
It’s a shot that allows the audience to concurrently view the setting in which a scene takes place and pay attention to a character’s body language/facial expressions.
Take a look at some of the most famous medium shots in film history below.
7. Close Up Shot
A close up shot engages viewers by revealing details of a subject – from the micro-expressions of an actress to the inscription on a headstone. These details are often crucial to the narrative, which is why it’s essential that the shot commands attention.
Watch some of the best close up shots in film history below.
8. Extreme Close Up Shot
If a close up isn’t close enough then a director can opt for an extreme close up shot to explore the intricate details of a subject – say, a teenager’s dilated iris or the engraving on a wedding ring.
Watch a prime example of an extreme close up below, taken from David Fincher’s cult classic Fight Club (1999).
9. Establishing Shot
Simply put, an establishing shot sets the scene by offering context about the next shot’s setting.
For example, every time the plot of a Harry Potter flick circles back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the audience is met with a sublime shot of the grand establishment.
Take a look at a handful of these establishing shots from the Harry Potter franchise below.
10. Aerial Shot
Also known as the God’s eye view shot and the bird's eye view shot, an aerial shot looks down on a scene.
This shot can be used in myriad ways – many of which are found in the works of the incomparable Wes Anderson. (Sorry not sorry.)
Explore how the auteur imaginatively uses aerial shots in the video below.
11. Low Angle Shot
From the sky to the ground, the low angle shot is chiefly used to make a character appear more important, heroic, powerful and threatening.
Additionally, a low angle shot may also be used to exaggerate the scale of a setting – especially those teeming with skyscrapers;
Take a look at Studio Binder’s take on low-angle shots below.
12. Over the Shoulder Shot
If there’s any shot perfect for filming conversations, it’s the over the shoulder shot – which (you guessed it!) puts the camera above a character’s shoulder.
This type of shot is used in films to constantly remind the audience which characters are conversing, placing one character in the middle of the shot, facing the camera and the other in the foreground with their back to the camera.
See the over the shoulder shot in play by watching the video below.
13. Point of View Shot
No other shot puts the audience in a character’s shoes quite like the point of view shot.
This camera technique forces the audience to adopt the eyes and ears of a character so that they may experience the scene from a first-person perspective.
Check out the Coen Brothers’ use of the point of view shot below.
14. Rack Focus Shot
The rack focus shot is a simple, yet effective camera trick that shifts focus from one subject to another.
Used to reveal something new within a scene – something that’s already in the eyeline of the audience – the rack focus shot switches emphasis between two subjects.
Check out this clip from 2006’s Casino Royale to see the rack focus shot in action.
Aaaaand Cut!
Now that you've come to appreciate the importance of camera movements, angles and shots just as much as we do, you'll be watching your favourite films with a brand new outlook, admiring the creativity that goes into each and every scene.
And, if you're looking to direct and/or produce your own film, you'll do well to remember we have all the background music you could dream of in our high-quality catalogue of over 175,000 tracks. We've got music for animation films, adventure sequels, sci-fi blockbusters, horror flicks, spy films, spaghetti westerns and more.
This page was updated 22/11/2022.
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