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ARC SHOT DEFINITION
What is an Arc Shot?
The arc shot (also sometimes referred to as the 360 shot), is a type of camera movement where the camera orbits around a subject while keeping the shot focused on that subject. Typically, the subject, or subjects, stay grounded in one fixed position as the camera circles, or even just semi-circles around them. The camera usually orbits the subject in a horizontal pattern, but this shot can also be achieved vertically.
To further explore this technique, you can browse our full guide to the arc shot, where you will find even more examples and breakdowns.
Meanings & Purpose
Arc Shot Examples
The central purpose of the arc shot is to infuse a stylized visual energy to a scene, making the moment feel more alive, and the subjects and their narrative situation all the more important and dramatic. It’ll be helpful to get a general taste for how this shot operates before diving deeper, so let’s start with a quick look at the below curated selection of the arc shot in film.
Creates iconography
Emphasizes character choice
Increases dramatic tension
Shifts tone in a scene
Usages
What does an arc shot do?
The most memorable arc shots in cinema almost always feature a character or group of characters as the subjects being orbited. With the character or characters in a fixed position, the energy this camera technique provides helps amplify the overall impact of the moment. Of course, as is with any shot where the camera moves, how fast or slow the arc is applied determines the kind of energy being expressed.
Romance
An arc shot around a first kiss can express the dizziness and excitement of two lovers embracing for the first time.
Heroism
Arcing around a hero or group of heroes as they finally answer their call to action can create a sense of catharsis for an audience.
Panic
If a character is coming to a sudden terrifying realization, an arc shot as their panic creeps in can ramp up the dread.
Conflict
If a set of characters are in stringent disagreement, an arc shot can work to underscore the increasing tension throughout their argument.
Qualities
Arc Shot vs Dolly Shot
Dolly shot and arc shot are two filmmaking terms that can sometimes get confused. This is because if an arc shot is using a dolly to perform its movement, then it’s technically both an arc shot and a dolly shot at the same time. Dolly shots are defined by the physical platform, a dolly, that a camera is mounted on top of.
The dolly then moves along a set of tracks that are laid out on the ground before the shot. If these tracks are laid out circularly with the intention of creating a 360 shot, then the shot can be referred to as a dolly shot or an arc shot.
Case Study
Shot listing an arc shot
Let’s next dive into how a professional filmmaker utilizes the arc shot. For Fight Club, director David Fincher takes a more ‘slow-burn’ approach with his arc shot camera movement.
Click the shot list below for an in-depth exploration of the entire scene, and ask yourself, what do the back-to-back opposing directions of the two arc shots in this scene convey about the lead character’s state of mind.
There’s clearly no one best way to implement the arc shot. Much of its application comes down to how high or low the energy of a moment needs to be.
With this in mind, let’s investigate what advantages can come from combining the arc shot with various other filmmaking techniques.
Unique Combos
How might you pair an arc shot with other camera techniques?
How to combine an arc shot
The arc shot is just one of many filmmaking tools that can be used to really punch up a scene. Impactful on its own, sure, but what happens when combinations are introduced? Let’s now explore the kinds of visual nuances that can birth out of fusing the arc shot with other camera techniques:
- Tilt: While a character being arced around is the central subject, the top or bottom of the background may also signify some importance. For this, a tilt up or down can help highlight that information.
- Crane: If the camera is arcing around two characters as they ascend on a platform, a crane will allow the camera to continue rising with them.
- Zoom: Zooming in on a character during an arc shot can emphasize an almost surreal state of mind.
- Handheld: Using a handheld camera during an arc shot creates a shakiness that can turn up the chaotic energy of a scene.
- Rack Focus: With subjects in both the foreground and background of an arc shot, a rack focus can assist in shifting audience attention.
- Low Angle: To emphasize the heroic qualities of a character, a low angle arc shot can imbue them with a sense of strength and power.
- Wide Angle: A wide angle lens can amplify the perspective of a subject and widen its surrounding setting.
- Close Up: A close up on the face of a character while arcing around them can underline and immerse the audience in their emotions.
Frequently asked questions about the arc shot
An arc shot brings an exceptional sense of energy to a shot. Even if the shot is subtle and slow, a feeling of shifting movement is still imparted. For this reason, it’s less about using the arc shot to convey any one kind of emotion, and more about determining how to match the emotion of the moment with the energy of the arc shot’s movement.
An arc shot orbits the camera around a subject horizontally or vertically, typically emphasizing importance on that subject. The camera does not have to circle a full 360 degrees to be considered an arc shot, it can cover any amount of the shot’s circumference.
An arc shot is most often executed by securing the camera on a dolly, but anything from cranes, drones, or even just handheld are all fair game when capturing the shot. The defining standard is that the camera moves in a circular motion around a subject while keeping focused on that subject.
