A key advantage of video and cinema over still imagery is movement. A little motion can infuse an element of dynamism just for fun and enjoyment, but there are ways to use motion as a way of improving your storytelling. The objective of the film is to show, not telling, and that objective is achieved effectively using movement.

Everybody should master these five important cinematography methods, which can be done using handheld approaches as well as with sliders that are pricey and sophisticated. As a result, almost anyone can start employing them in their next video production. 

So, what are these five cinematography tricks?

When shooting an action scene, you may want to create a lively feel of movement all through the location. This can be achieved through the use of innovative angles. For example, you might use a POV view with a camera attached to the main character or shoot from extremely low or extremely high perspectives.

Transitioning between the different angles makes the actions and movement more dramatic, enhancing the action.

This one is a simple trick. As an example, Use a handheld push-in to function as a tension-filled progress level for the viewer if your character is deep in contemplation and seeking a solution. To achieve that, you get closer, and closer, and closer until you get to just the right point when you capture the action moment.

 

Combining the handheld with the push-in technique creates some tension. In the end, they even do a quick pull-out and then start the next shot with the same process to create a dynamic transition.

This sort of trick shot actually involves a non-move move. A scene shot like this, involves a character waking up in an unknown place. By using a camera with a wide-angle lens and zooming in close, you may gain a unique viewpoint on the character's face. You don't actually move when the character wakes up.

Since the character doesn’t know where he is and is trying to figure that out, you can then build up the cinematic tension by not revealing the location to the audience, this can help raise the tension level leaving the audience anticipating as they are brought into the same mindset of the character trying to figure it out.

You can follow that up with a wide shot with the character shown as a small aspect of the frame. This will enable you to show how the character is alone in the space.

Follow up the waking upshot with the scene of the “bad guy” returning. Showing the bad buy coming back maybe a good start, but using a tele lens and having some objects in the foreground will leave the audience with the feeling that they are watching from a safe place and cutting between such shots and the opposite angle of a tight-wide angle will increase tension.

Next, as the antagonist closes in, you actually start retreating away from the main character. This trick also seems to move the audience to a safe place while at the same time showing the frantic actions and tension of the bad guy closing in.

In this trick example, you have two characters planning a robbery. One of them is the leader who is coming up with the idea and you want to make the audience trust him. In this shot, you actually want to have the camera placed lower and angled up towards this character.

This will give him a sense of superiority, and you can add a push-in for emphasis. In addition to this, you will want to shoot your other characters straight on with a bit of movement to show they are focused and paying close attention. It looks like an ordinary thing to consider but it can make a difference in how the scene feels.

It’s a good array of trick shots and it is can be worthwhile watching the examples to understand the effect they can have and apply it to your specific shots.

Our website, Filmdistrictdubai.com, has more fun articles on film, photography, lifestyle, and web-related topics. The group is an award-winning organization made up of professionals who have worked on video, film, and television productions. Our website, Filmdistrictdubai.com, has more fun articles on film, photography, lifestyle, and web-related topics. The group is an award-winning organization made up of professionals who have worked on video, film, and television productions.