Types of Camera Movements in Film Explained: Definitive Guide

Camera Movement Definition

What is camera movement in film?

Before we take a look at the complete list of the different types of camera movements in film, let’s first take a look at the camera movement definition. This will help us better understand the best camera movements and why filmmakers use them.

Defining camera movement is just the first step—applying it effectively is where a filmmaker’s vision comes to life. Understanding all types of camera movements helps determine how to best use camera movement for storytelling. Now, let’s explore how different camera movements contribute to storytelling and how to choose the right one for your scene.

Static Camera Movement

When to Use a Still Frame in Film

A static shot keeps the camera locked in place with a tripod, allowing actors and elements within the frame to move instead. This technique is effective for scenes that are heavy with dialogue and the need to capture facial expressions without distractions.

This makes it one of the best camera movements for shot-reverse-shot dialogue, precise composition, or showcasing an actor’s performance.

A key distinction to Martin Scorsese’s directing style is allowing room for improvisation from his actors. Static shots with multiple cameras are perfect for capturing these moments.

Check out this video comparison by Screenplayed that compares the final cut and screenplay of this Wolf of Wall Street scene. Note how much improvisation is included.

To capture these moments where anything can happen, a static shot allows actors to work the scene together and produce something authentic. As great as static shots can be, deliberate and motivated camera movements can be incredibly effective.

While static shots create focus, pan in and out camera movements add energy and reveal new details. See how filmmakers use this simple yet powerful camera technique to enhance storytelling.

Pan Camera Movement

How to Use Horizontal Motion Effectively

A camera pan moves horizontally from left to right or vice versa. Filmmakers often pan in and out to adjust framing dynamically, drawing attention to specific elements within a scene.

This movement reveals new information, follows a character, or adds energy to a shot.  The pan camera movement is typically achieved with a tripod head, but can also be done handheld or with a stabilizer. Camera pan movements are often motivated by a character’s actions. They can also be used to reveal new information to the audience.

When done quickly with speed, the fast camera movement is known as a whip pan. Whip pans are one of the best camera pan movements to add energy to a shot. Whip pans can be used between two characters rather than cutting to establish a more energetic connection.

We analyzed the whip pans of La La Land in this video essay to see how they effectively energize the relationship between Sebastian and Mia.

Although the pan is one of the most basic camera movements, it can also be one of the most effective. Using a pan in and out technique can help establish a scene’s depth and emphasize dramatic shifts in perspective. Creative uses like whip pans can be found in the distinct styles of directors such as Wes Anderson.

Just as a pan moves the camera side to side to reveal new details, a tilt shifts the perspective up or down, adding depth and scale. Now let’s see how master filmmakers use this filmmaking technique to shape storytelling.

Tilt Shot in Filmmaking

Adding Vertical Motion for Impact

A tilt shot moves the camera up or down, often to establish a sense of scale or dominance. Tilts enable filmmakers to capture the verticality of a film in moments of awe and spectacle.

Steven Spielberg’s style uses the tilt often. In one of Spielberg’s best movies, Jurassic Park, he uses the tilt when introducing the dinosaurs. The camera tilt perfectly captures the emotions of the film’s characters while eliciting awe in the audience.

Spielberg is known for his dynamic camera movement. This scene is a perfect example of how a tilt-up camera movement can have an emotional response. Sir Steven is also known for the Spielberg oner — his uncanny ability to use different camera movements to shoot complete scenes in one shot. Check out this clip to see for yourself:

While tilt shots add grandeur by shifting the camera up or down, the push-in draws the audience deeper into a scene, creating intimacy or tension. Let’s explore how filmmakers use this movement to command attention.

Push In Camera Movement

Creating tension and emotion 

A push-in draws the audience closer to a subject, enhancing tension or intimacy, typically with a dolly camera movement or Steadicam. Filmmakers also push-in toward characters to try and infer what is occurring internally. This can be a reaction, thought process, or internal conflict.

Check out the analysis of this push-in shot from The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Cinefix compares the push-in with a dolly camera movement to a static shot to show its impact on the scene.

Consider this scene from The Godfather. The camera barely moves as Sonny and Tom spar over how to handle the family business after Don Corleone's assassination attempt.

That is, until the moment Michael decides to step up and take control. The static camera leading up to that moment allows for even the slightest push into Michael seems like a grand and powerful moment. 

Here's a breakdown of the scene and how Coppola uses camera movement with masterful purpose and precision.

Subtle push-ins like these have an enormous impact on how we perceive characters. They bridge the gap between the audience and a character’s inner thoughts and emotions.

Just as a push-in pulls the audience closer to a character’s emotions, a pull-out creates distance, revealing isolation or a broader perspective. This technique perfectly emphasizes detachment, foreshadowing, or unveils a scene’s full scope. Let’s see how filmmakers use pull-outs to heighten emotional depth and storytelling impact.

Pull Out Camera Movement

Create isolation and reveal the setting

The camera pull out is the exact opposite of the push in. A pull-out is a camera movement that smoothly moves the camera away from the subject, revealing the broader context of the scene. It can evoke a range of emotions, but frequently creates a sense of isolation by distancing the character from their surroundings.

Pull outs can be used to reveal the setting and characters. Emotionally, pull outs can highlight a character’s isolation or loneliness. Stanley Kubrick uses this to detach us from Jack in this scene from The Shining, where you can feel his isolation when the camera pulls back at the end of the scene.

As Jack descends into madness in the film, the pull out allows Kubrick to distance us from Jack, just as Wendy does. Kubrick demonstrates how to use the pull out to both reveal information and entice emotion.

While a pull-out expands the frame to create distance and isolation, a zoom alters the image size without moving the camera, drawing focus to key details or creating unease. Whether intensifying suspense or distorting reality, zooms are a powerful tool in psychological thrillers and horror films. Let’s explore how filmmakers use zooms to manipulate perception and emotion.

Camera Movements: The Zoom Effect

Creating tension and emotion 

Although zooms are technically not a camera movement they do create movement within the image. Zooming changes the focal length of a camera lens to either zoom in (magnify) or zoom out (de-magnify) the size of a subject in the frame–without changing perspective.

Zooming is unique because there is no equivalent to them in the experience of the human eye. Zooms can feel artificial or even unnatural. For these reasons, zooms are one of the best camera movements to use in horror and thriller genres.

The zoom is commonly found in Stanley Kubrick’s directing style. By using it on specific characters, Kubrick makes us feel uneasy as they descend into madness in this shot from Full Metal Jacket.

When watching Kubrick’s best films, keep an eye out for zoom shots. Although zooms may not be as prevalent in modern cinema, they can still be effective storytelling devices when used with intention. And the best way to understand the intention behind a shot is to study masters like Kubrick.

While zooming adjusts the focal length to create tension or unease, the dolly zoom takes it a step further by altering depth perception, producing a surreal, disorienting effect. This powerful technique, often used in thrillers and psychological dramas, can heighten suspense or symbolize internal conflict. Let’s explore how filmmakers use the dolly zoom to intensify emotion and visual storytelling.

While zooms create tension by adjusting the focal length, the dolly zoom takes visual storytelling to another level by warping depth perception. This unsettling effect, often used in thrillers and psychological films, draws the audience into a character’s turmoil or amplifies supernatural elements. Let’s dive into how filmmakers use this technique to heighten drama and suspense.

Dolly Zoom Effect in Film

How to create suspense and drama

A dolly zoom combines a push-in or vice versa a zoom-out, altering the depth perception within the frame. This creates a disorienting effect often used in thrillers. Dolly zooms are an incredibly intentional camera movement because they have such a specific effect.

The visual effect of a dolly zoom is distinctive. In the fantasy and horror genre, zooming is often used to portray a supernatural force. We break down an example of this from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in this video essay.

Filmmakers have used the dolly zoom to visually portray other conflicts as well. It is commonly used to capture the internal conflict of a character, just as camera angles can be used to emphasize power dynamics or vulnerability. The dolly zoom can also be used positively. By making the background larger while maintaining foreground size, the dolly zoom can also establish a relationship between two characters.

Just as the dolly zoom manipulates depth to heighten tension, zooming combined with a camera roll can further distort perspective and create an unsettling visual effect. This movement can evoke dizziness, unease, or even a shift in reality, making it a powerful tool for disorienting the audience. Let’s explore how filmmakers use the roll to intensify emotion.

Roll Camera Movement

The importance of camera roll

A camera roll is a rotational movement that tilts the camera over its side along its long axis, creating a dizzying and unnatural effect. Filmmakers use this technique to disorient the audience or heighten unease.

Similarly, a Dutch angle—achieved by tilting the camera—can effectively create tension and instability in a scene. Both techniques are highly intentional and serve to enhance the emotional impact of a shot.

The camera roll is a rotational camera movement that rotates the camera over its side on its long axis. Rolls can be dizzying and unnatural. For this reason, filmmakers use it to disorient the audience or create uneasiness. Its specific effect makes it a very intentional camera movement that should only be used when wanting to elicit discomfort in the audience.

Sometimes these effects tie into a film’s theme, such as in this scene from one of the best Marvel movies, Black Panther. When Killmonger takes the throne, the sense of uneasiness in Wakanda is echoed to the audience through a slow camera roll.

Imagine if this scene had been shot with just a push in and no camera roll. The instability of Wakanda and the apprehension of the film’s characters would be felt less by the audience.

While the camera roll distorts perception to create unease, the tracking shot immerses the audience by following the action in real-time. Whether gliding alongside a character or revealing a dynamic environment, tracking shots add fluidity and energy to a scene. Let’s take a look at how filmmakers use this technique to enhance visual engagement.

Tracking Camera Movement

Tracking shots in film

A tracking shot is any shot that physically moves the camera through the scene for an extended amount of time. Among the various types of shots, tracking shots are particularly useful for maintaining fluid motion and immersion.

Tracking camera movement often follows a traveling subject, though they can be used to simply show off the scene. Check out our breakdown of the best tips for shooting better tracking shots.

Truck camera movement is a type of tracking shot that moves laterally left or right. Truck camera movement has historically been achieved with a dolly tracking camera movement. Modern Steadicams allow complex shot movements that move the camera in all directions. 

Steadicam camera movement has become more prevalent in modern films. Here's a breakdown of the camera, lenses, and camera movements Roger Deakins used to make 1917 look like a single tracking shot.

Tracking shots can be found in nearly every modern film. Analyzing how your favorite filmmakers use tracking shots will help you become a better filmmaker.

While tracking shots pull the audience into the movement of a scene, the arc shot adds a sense of dynamism by circling a subject. This technique builds tension, enhances emotion, and brings an immersive quality to the action. Let’s dive into how filmmakers use arc shots to intensify their stories.

Arc Camera Movement

How circular motion enhances the story

The arc shot circles around a subject, adding dynamism to a static scene. Christopher Nolan uses the arc shot in The Dark Knight to add to the menacing energy of the Joker.

Imagine if the shot was captured statically on a tripod. Sure, Heath Ledger’s performance would still make it engaging. However, the arc shot movements create uneasiness in the audience immediately just as Rachel feels. The result is an uneasy, yet incredible Joker finale in one of Christopher Nolan’s best films.

While arc shots add movement around a subject to create tension and energy, boom shots elevate the visual scale by raising or lowering the camera along a vertical axis. These types of shots are frequently used in epic storytelling to create a sense of grandeur.

Whether subtly revealing a character or dramatically showcasing a vast setting, boom shots enhance a film’s grandeur and storytelling depth. Let’s take a deeper look at how filmmakers use them to create cinematic impact.

Establishing Shots and Boom Movements

Creating a grand cinematic scale

Boom shots move the camera vertically, typically with a crane or jib, to capture grand establishing shots to introduce locations. These can be small moves to reveal locations or characters.

Other times, filmmakers use large boom movements to show off the setting of a scene. These shots are known as establishing shots and can be achieved using all types of camera movements to create an immersive cinematic experience. Check out our analysis of what makes great establishing shots great. Note which ones use boom camera movements.

Large boom movements immediately add production value to a film. These types of shots are commonly found in historical epics and action films to enhance dramatic effect. The scale boom shots can create has drawn audiences to the theatre throughout cinematic history.

While boom shots add grandeur by sweeping the camera upward or downward to reveal scale, handheld shots do the opposite—bringing an unfiltered, raw energy to a scene. This movement immerses the audience in the action, making them feel like they’re part of the moment. Let’s explore how handheld camera work enhances realism and intensity in filmmaking.

Handheld Camera Shot

Random movement

A handheld shot mimics a documentary style, adding a raw, immersive feel. It’s effective for chaotic or intimate scenes.

When used more subtly, the random movement can establish subjectivity for the audience. This is often used in films that are based on true events. In combination with arbitrary zooms, the random movement in The Big Short stylistically gives a subjective, documentary feel to the film.

Random movement can be overused, so be sure to use it with intention and restraint if necessary. Too much of it and the random movement will be ineffective. Too little and it will go unnoticed. The random movement should always serve the story.

While handheld shots create a raw, immersive experience, the bird’s eye view offers the opposite effect—an overhead perspective that distances the audience from the subject. This shot can evoke vulnerability, insignificance, or omniscient surveillance, making it a powerful tool for psychological tension and dramatic storytelling. Here’s how filmmakers utilize this unique angle to shape perception and mood.

Conclusion

Camera moves for effective storytelling

Camera movement is an essential tool in filmmaking, shaping the way audiences perceive and engage with a story. Filmmakers carefully select the right types of shots to ensure each movement serves the narrative effectively. 

From the subtle push-in that intensifies emotion to the dramatic overhead shot that shifts power dynamics, each technique serves a unique purpose.

By understanding and applying these movements thoughtfully, filmmakers can enhance narrative depth, create visual impact, and guide the viewer’s experience. Combining camera movements and camera angles effectively allows storytellers to craft visually compelling and emotionally engaging scenes.

Whether using a dynamic tracking shot, a suspenseful dolly zoom, or a steady static frame, mastering all types of camera movement allows storytellers to transform scenes into compelling cinematic moments. Experiment, analyze great films, and refine your approach to make the most of these powerful techniques in your work.

UP NEXT

Types of Camera Rigs and Gear

Once you decide what types of camera movements in the film you want to use in your project, it is important to determine what equipment to use to achieve it. Various types of camera rigs and gear can accomplish nearly every camera movement. Understanding the function of each will help you get a better grasp of the cinematic tools at your disposal.

Up Next: Types of Camera Rigs and Gear →