The Camera Frame: Camera Movement and Combining Techniques
Now tell students that the other element of the basic “vocabulary” of film is camera movement. Unlike comics or still photos, in film and related media the camera can move during a single shot. This can be done either by actually moving the camera itself, or by changing the lenses to shrink or enlarge the image (like looking through a microscope.)
Have students read Camera Shots: Camera Movement and Combining Techniques (https://pressbooks.pub/navigatingdml/chapter/camera-shots-angle-and-distance/) and go through the different kinds of shots and what they were used for:
In a zoom, the camera doesn’t move but the lenses change to shrink (zoom out) or enlarge (zoom in) the image
In a pan, the camera turns horizontally (from side-to-side) without the camera itself moving
In a tilt, the camera’s direction moves vertically (up or down) without the camera itself moving
If the camera itself moves, it is called a dolly shot. If it follows a character who is moving it is called a tracking shot.
Discuss with the class: How does each of these techniques serve either a narrative or expressionist purpose?
In the first shot, zooming in on the woman’s face gives us a stronger sense of how she’s feeling. When she turns away and the camera stays zoomed on the man’s face, it gives us a sense of what he’s thinking.
In the second shot, the way the camera pans to follow the woman intensifies the feeling of fear as she steps away from the man.
In the third shot, when the camera follows the man into the woman’s house it gives the sense that he is invading her space.
In the fourth shot, the tilt builds tension by only slowly revealing what we’re looking at. As it turns into a high angle shot of the man digging, it emphasizes the vulnerable position he’s in.
Tell students that the fifth shot is an example of how media makers can combine angle and movement.
How does the combined use of tilt, pan and zoom help to tell the story or affect how we feel about what’s happening?
Prompts:
This shot is from near the beginning of the movie. What do these choices tell you about what kind or genre of movie this will be?
What do these choices tell you about the settings where the movie will take place?
A media tool serves a narrative purpose when it helps to tell the story more clearly, such as by showing an important detail.
A media tool serves an expressionist purpose when it affects how you feel about what's happening, like when sad music plays in the background.
Genre is the types or categories into which texts are grouped. For example, film genres include action, suspense and comedy. There are also more specific sub-genres such as superhero, romantic comedy, thriller and film noir.