Film your first cinematic shot
A shot is a camera move across your scene. The difference between a flat slideshow and something that looks filmed is almost always the camera. This lesson covers the moves that do the most work.
Dolly versus zoom
These feel similar but read very differently:
- A dolly physically moves the camera through the scene. Layers at different depths slide past each other, which gives you real parallax and a sense of space.
- A zoom changes the lens, magnifying the whole frame at once with no parallax.
Reach for a dolly when you want depth and presence. Reach for a zoom when you want to punch in on a detail. Most great shots are mostly dolly.
Frame the move
Set where the shot starts and where it ends. Give the camera a clear subject to travel toward, and leave a beat of stillness at the start or end so the eye can settle. Motion means more when it is surrounded by a little calm.
Set your focus
Pick what should be sharp. Everything at that depth stays crisp while the rest falls away softly. Pointing focus at your subject pulls the viewer straight to it, the same way a real lens does.
Pace it
Slow usually looks more expensive than fast. Ease into and out of the move rather than starting and stopping abruptly. When a move feels a touch too slow, it is often right.