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.

Dolly versus zoom

• Dolly: physically moves the camera through the scene. Layers at different depths slide past each other. Real parallax, real space.
• 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 to punch in on a detail. Most great shots are mostly dolly.

Four rules for a good shot

1. Give the camera a subject. Set where the shot starts and where it ends, and travel toward something.
2. Leave a beat of stillness. A pause at the start or end lets the eye settle. Motion means more when it is surrounded by a little calm.
3. Set your focus. Pick what should be sharp. Everything at that depth stays crisp while the rest falls away softly, pulling the viewer straight to your subject.
4. Pace it slow. Slow usually looks more expensive than fast. Ease into and out of the move rather than starting and stopping abruptly.