The Motivated Camera

When writing a scene, a lot must be considered, including lighting, color, framing and composition, and more. But something that is not initially obvious -- and just as important as any other element -- is camera movement. Motivated camera movement is integral to the successful execution of the scene. Just like framing, movement must have a purpose -- it can't be just thrown in, attempting to achieve something that it can not.


Want to dramatically reveal something? Use a nice slider shot. Want to increase the tension in a scene? Try some frantic handheld movement. For anything you want to say visually, you can bet there is a way to show it with motion.


One great example of this is found in Magnolia. The control of the camera is top notch, and the blocking of actors seems almost impossible to me. The scene begins from behing the main characters as the enter a building. As the tension in the scene rises, we are brought seamlessly to the front of the characters, sharing in their increasing emotion. Through complex twists and turns, we feel as if we are right there in the scene with them -- both physically and emotionally. Take a look for yourself. The video below should be set to automatically start at the correct scene. If not, just skip to 2:27.