Cinema is widely known since its beginning as “the movement image”, and in fact movement in one of the main foundations for every movie filmed.
In cinema, there are two types of crucial movements that are present in each single movie there is, namely scene movements and camera movements.
Scene movements
In a movie, in any given scene, each movement must have a specific motive and intention behind. A scene may need or not a certain movement. The movement can bring together, tear apart, reveal or hide anything. It can also be a way to accelerate a scene, or make it slower. Scene movements can be divided and classified in the following way:
Primary movement – movement of a subject or object
Secondary movement – movement of the camera or of the lens (zoom)
Tertiary movement – movement applied during the editing process
Camera movements
The camera movement represents the behavior of the spectator regarding the scene, given the fact that the camera is his point of view, i.e., the viewer is only able to watch the scene as he is the camera, he sees everything through its lenses.
The most important rule for any camera movement is that it has to be unnoticeable, it must always be soft, subtle and uniform, in a way that the attention of the spectator is not disturbed, allowing him to focus on the story.
Every camera movement has a specific purpose that has to be applied correctly, since all the movements are essential for the direction of every movie, and for the transmission of certain points of view during the development of the narrative.
The main camera movements are:
Still shot – like the name indicates, the camera is in a fixed position, so there isn’t any type of movement, except the movements of the characters and objects within the scene.
Panorama – this type of camera movement is made with the camera in a fixed position, and rotating by itself. It can be used to show the surroundings, or to accompany the movement of a character or vehicle. The panorama must be uniform, and have the same speed from the beginning until the end. The starting and ending points of a panorama must be decided before filming, in order to define precisely the framing of the first and last shot. Normally panoramas are filmed from left to right, to mimic the reading movement, to which viewers are more used to.
Travelling – horizontal movement of the camera, that may accompany the movement of a character or any object; it is always made at the same speed of motion of the character or object that it is following.
Tilt – vertical movement of the camera, normally at a low speed; it can go from the bottom to the top, or vice-versa, and is used to reveal bit by bit the details of the scene portrayed.
Whip pan – this movement is similar to the one used in a panorama, but faster, and from the starting to the ending point it changes its main subject, creating a transition between shots. This movement was extremely popular in action movies in the 1970’s.
Following shot – camera movement that is focused on a single character, following the character through different scenarios, like on a chase. This movement is normally made with a steadicam or with the camera on the shoulder, and it combines different movements.
Zoom – this movement is made not by the camera itself, but by its lens. With the camera on a fixed point, it is possible to make the image appear bigger and closer, i.e., to make a zoom in, or to portray a wider shot, which is called a zoom out.
