Research (Camera movements)

After doing some basic research on cinematography, I started watching the Swede scene that my team and I are filming. The iconic "I'm the king of the world" scene from Titanic. As a cinematographer, my role is to analyze each shot of the scene and identify the angles, movements, shot types, and other elements.

Still video from Titanic (1997) 'I'm the king of the world'

After analyzing the scene MULTIPLE times in detail, SECOND BY SECOND, and after identifying every element, I realized that a large part of it was wrong—because I confuse Pan shots with Crane shots. This made me realize that I still need to do a lot of research to plan shots properly. Despite having some things wrong, the time wasn't wasted; you learn from your mistakes, so I decided to strengthen my knowledge specifically about shot types and movements to have a good analysis of the scene and be prepared for production.

I watched this video to gain a better understanding of the topic:

Film Glossary: Shot Movement (Dolly, Crane, Track, Zoom, Tilt, Pan)

The video explanation was masterful; this is what I learned:

Camera movements (where the camera physically moves): dolly/track and crane.

In the dolly shot, the camera physically moves towards the subject; the proportions between the subject and the background change, better mimicking the feeling of moving forward in space.

In the track, the camera moves parallel to the subject; the viewer moves along with the subject.

In the crane shot, the camera physically moves toward or away from the subject; this causes a change in the proportions of the background.

Camera movements (where the camera remains static): zoom, pan, and tilt.

In zoom, the camera uses the lens to move closer to or further away from the subject; the subject and the background change size at the same rate.

In pan, the camera rotates, following the subject from a fixed point; it gives the feeling that the subject is moving closer and further away.

In tilt, the camera moves up or down while remaining at a fixed point; the proportions of the subject and background remain constant.