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Camera movement

Read about camera movement as one of the most powerful aspects of camera to reveal information to the audience. Download resources for use in class.
Scene of children filming in the park with a tablet
© Into Film
When working with your students to create a multi-shot film, they will begin to use different shot types, camera angles and movements.

You learned all about camera shots in Step 1.13, and in this and the following steps we’ll take a look at camera movement and positioning in preparation for creating different types of multi-shot films.

Camera movement is one of the most useful tools in a filmmaker’s armoury. It can be used to reveal information to the audience, or move closer to the subject, providing clearer visual information.

There are a variety of ways of moving the camera:

Handheld

Handheld Camera. The camera is held by a moving camera operator. This can result in shaky footage.

Tracking

Tracking Camera. The camera moves backwards, forwards or sideways along a track which is also known as dolly or truck.

Panning

Panning Camera. The camera moves left or right from a fixed point on a horizontal plane which is similar to a person turning their head to look left or right

Tilt

Tilt Camera. The camera moves from a fixed point on a vertical plane in a similar way to a person raising their head to look up or down.

Steadicam

Steadicam. The camera, steadied by weights, is attached to a camera operator to produce a smoother shot than handheld.

Crane

Crane Camera. The camera is attached to a crane or jib to capture sweeping or extreme high angle shots

Please download the Camera Movements worksheet to help you with your work.

In the next step, we will look at camera angles and then we’ll test your knowledge by seeing how many shots, movements and angles you can recognise in the clip in Step 2.13.

© Into Film
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Filmmaking and Animation Online and in the Classroom

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