Camera Movement

Camera Movements

In order to create a professional looking music video I need to familiarise myself again with all the camera movements I will need to know.

Zoom in

Also referred to as the close up is when the camera zooms in on to the artists face making a tight frame. This is used to show the artist singing in the music video or to show something that is important to the music video.

Zoom out

This is when the camera zooms out of the close up and brings something else into focus in the music video. This turns the tight frame into a wide frame and is used to bring something/someone else into focus in the music video.

Tracking shot

This is when the camera follows the focus of the video for a small period of time, in an music video it is normally done for no longer than a couple of seconds. This is done on a dolly, which is like a mini train track where the camera rests on and the dolly pulls the camera and 'tracks' the subject of the music video. The dolly offers smooth consistent movement opposed to someone carrying the camera and walking in front of the subject of the music video.

Pan

This is when the camera moves from side to side to reveal everything that is in the shot. A pan is performed by turning horizontally on a vertical axis, but placing the camera on a platform to move the camera whole offers a more smooth movement. This camera movement is used in music videos to bring more actors into focus (possibly other artists).

Whip pan

This is the same as a pan except a whip pan is faster, this can be used for the same purpose of the pan but the fact that it is faster helps the movement stay in tune with the song making the video more appealing to the target audience.

Arc

This is when the camera arcs over the artist in the music video, the movement creates a semi-circle over the subject and around him/her. This movement is used to give a better depth of field over the subject and can be used to first introduce the artist to the audience.

Crane

This movement is self explanatory as the cameraman sits on the end of a crane and shoots the scene from high up. This movement can help shoot large crowds and can be used in house music videos as the music video is stereo typically the artist performing in front of large crowds. They can also be used to end music videos as the camera goes up and away from the artist. Health and safety is a concern when filming this camera movement as the camera man has to sit on the end of the crane whilst filming. The camera man will have to wear a harness because there is a chance that when the crane is moving that the camera man falls off the crane.

Steadicam

The steadicam is similar to the tracking shot as the camera follows the subject of the music video. To allow a smoother shot the camera is attached to a harness that is around the camera mans waist and remains steady even when moving fast or on an uneven surface. This is used for the same purpose of the tracking shot as the camera man follows the artists with the camera on the harness around his waist.

Aerial shot

This is also known as the 'birds eye shot' as the camera is high up looking directly down on the landscape. This is used for the same purpose as the 'establishing shot' as this shot is used in music videos for revealing the location that the video is going to be performed in. It is filmed similar to the crane shot however instead of focusing on the subject of the music video from high up it is used to establish where the music video will be filmed.

Hand Held

This shot is similar to the tracking shot and the steadicam, however this shot is not as smooth as the other two shots. The camera man places the camera in his hand and follows the subject of the music video, and the camera shakes realistically when running with the camera. This is used in fast paced videos as it immerses the audience into the music video and make them feel like they are there.