The word "Cinema" comes from the Greek word "Kine" which means "movement." So of course, we need to acknowledge that film is about MOVEMENT.
Kinetic movement (I know, that's redundant), can be discussed as horizontal (X-axis), vertical (y-axis), or with depth (z-axis). Someone walking toward the camera would be movement on the Z-axis. A tear rolling down Chuck Norris' face would be movement along the Y-axis.
There are several key camera movements which directors use to contribute to the meaning of a shot.
The most common camera movement is the PAN. This is horizontal camera movement from a stationary axis (like a tripod).
The PAN is used to connect things; a pan from a girl's face to another girl's cell phone tells the viewer that the first girl is deeply interested in the phone, even if she is not looking right at it. The PAN can also connect people in a similar way; a shot of a boy which then pans to a girl suggests a connection, a desire perhaps. Couple that PAN with a wink or a gesture, and you've got some real fireworks on your hands. Don't underestimate the power of the pan; it can be a mighty tool in your storytelling arsenal.
A SWISH PAN (sometimes called a FLASH PAN) is a pan which is so fast that it blurs the image.
Other uses of the PAN are:
1. To track an actor as he/she moves horizontally across a room. Be sure to leave some lead room when filming. If the actor is moving right to left, leave extra space on the left for her to walk into.
2. As subjective camera of a character who is looking around the scene.
3. Rarely, to make something invisible become visible in a sense. A scene in Goodfellas where the panning camera follows the thread of nonverbal communication through a backyard party. In the film Rebecca, we learn how Rebecca may have died as the camera follows her non-existant image around the room.
Kinetic movement (I know, that's redundant), can be discussed as horizontal (X-axis), vertical (y-axis), or with depth (z-axis). Someone walking toward the camera would be movement on the Z-axis. A tear rolling down Chuck Norris' face would be movement along the Y-axis.
There are several key camera movements which directors use to contribute to the meaning of a shot.
The most common camera movement is the PAN. This is horizontal camera movement from a stationary axis (like a tripod).
The PAN is used to connect things; a pan from a girl's face to another girl's cell phone tells the viewer that the first girl is deeply interested in the phone, even if she is not looking right at it. The PAN can also connect people in a similar way; a shot of a boy which then pans to a girl suggests a connection, a desire perhaps. Couple that PAN with a wink or a gesture, and you've got some real fireworks on your hands. Don't underestimate the power of the pan; it can be a mighty tool in your storytelling arsenal.
A SWISH PAN (sometimes called a FLASH PAN) is a pan which is so fast that it blurs the image.
Other uses of the PAN are:
1. To track an actor as he/she moves horizontally across a room. Be sure to leave some lead room when filming. If the actor is moving right to left, leave extra space on the left for her to walk into.
2. As subjective camera of a character who is looking around the scene.
3. Rarely, to make something invisible become visible in a sense. A scene in Goodfellas where the panning camera follows the thread of nonverbal communication through a backyard party. In the film Rebecca, we learn how Rebecca may have died as the camera follows her non-existant image around the room.