http://www.mobifilms.net/academy/lesson4.html
 
Lesson 4 Moving Pictures
 
Zoom
They're called the movies because – well – they're moving pictures. And that little zoom lever is very tempting:

Click to Play
Horrid multiple move

But, if there's a reason to move – a MOTIVATION – then move:

Click to Play
Motivated pan

This time the camera had a reason to move. It looks natural. It's what you might do with your eye. Sound familiar? Zooming is the same. Only move if there's a reason:

Click to Play
Gateway. Girl appears. Zoom in

Whatever you do with the camera – zoom, pan, cut, anything – it should be to add information to the viewer's experience. Here's a zoom out to show new information:

Click to Play
Woman, zoom out to see man

But a zoom out can imply that the girl isn't important - here's the same information shown in a different way:

Click to Play
Cut to man in car

Back To Top Top
Moving the Camera: Tracking
There's no one way of showing something on screen. But here's a thought: how about moving the camera.

Click to Play
Track into cat

Back To Top Top
Moving the Subject
Even better, hold the camera steady and get the subject to come to you.

Click to Play
Cat breakfast

Back To Top Top
How to Make Friends and Influence People
When you produce a camera people start behaving differently – they don't act naturally. So direct them to re-create whatever reality you were aiming at originally.

Click to Play
Walking children

Back To Top Top
Complete the Action

One thing to watch out for with any move – camera, lens or person – is to complete the move. Don't do this:

Click to Play
Track along display

This has a front and end – and a REASON to move:

Click to Play
Better track

Back To Top Top
Experiment

The camera needn't just stick to tracking in, zooming in, going along lines of things. Often a complimentary move can look good:

Click to Play
Move to meet couple

And you can offer the viewer a puzzle, then reveal the answer:

Click to Play
Crash zoom

Where zooms and pans can come into their own for music pieces. The camera, if you like, is dancing along. Now there are almost no rules. Almost…

That sounds like a good idea; why don't you pick a short (SHORT) piece of music and try to illustrate it with pictures. The only limit is your imagination.

Back To Top Top
 
http://www.mobifilms.net/academy/lesson4.html