From the course: Camera Movement for Video Productions

Why motion is important to video

From the course: Camera Movement for Video Productions

Start my 1-month free trial Buy for my team

Why motion is important to video

“

- Hello, I'm Eduardo Angel. In this course, we will be discussing the importance of camera movement in how and why we should being to integrate it into your own video productions. I am often able to identify photographers who have recently made a transition to video simply by the amount or lack of camera movement in their work. Unlike still photography, filmmaking is a medium defined by motion. Motion in the action within the frame but also of the frame itself. Let's take a look at this. Here is a night exterior shot at a cafe with a young woman standing in front of it. It's raining and she's waiting for her boyfriend, whose running late as usual. Even though someone walks in front of the camera, we have no movement. It almost feels like a still photograph. A sequence of beautifully composed, perfectly lit shots can feel like a fancy slideshow as opposed to a story in motion if they remain frozen. Now, let's be clear: it is possible to tell a story without any camera movement. We obviously understood the situation, but what if we moved the camera? Would it change our perception of the girl waiting impatiently and the man running late? Let's see. Do you see the difference? Let's just play again the sequence where he arrives. On the left, he just enters and exits the frame. He doesn't seem like he's in a rush. On the right, the camera follows him. We can feel how fast he's walking. It seems that he actually cares and he's rushing to get there as fast as possible. And guess what? He's walking at the same exact speed on both takes, but our perception is completely different. Not only are we increasing the production value of the piece, we're actually shifting the way the audience reads the scene. This is the power of camera movement. In this course, we will see why movement is such a powerful resource for infusing drama, following action, directing the viewer's attention, revealing key details, and transitioning between shots in a sequence. Let's get started.

Contents