camerawork
Visual filming technique
Camerawork is the technique and artistry of operating a camera in film, television, or video production.
It encompasses choices about movement, angles, framing, and focus that shape how viewers experience visual content: The documentary's handheld camerawork created an intimate, urgent feel.
Good camerawork serves the story; showy camerawork calls attention to itself.
Shallow cooking vessel
- tiltAngular deviation from level
- dollyWheeled moving platform
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- craneLifter or wader
jib · steadicam · handheld · zoom · glide · orbit · sweep · follow
Light-focusing curved glass
- tripodStabilizing support structure
- dollyWheeled moving platform
- craneLifter or wader
- steadicamFilm stabilization apparatus
gimbal · jib · rig · slider · drone · monitor · viewfinder · filters
Structural or contextual shaping
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- symmetryInvariance under transformation
- headroomOverhead vertical space
- depthDistance below surface
layering · foreground · background · blocking · staging · centered · off-center · diagonal
State of being unprotected
- contrastNotable difference between things
- high-keyExtremely or obviously
- low-keyRestrained and understated
- chiaroscuroContrast technique in painting
silhouette · backlight · diffusion · shadows · highlights
Near-range photograph
- over-the-shoulderWorn across one shoulder
- point-of-viewPosition from which something's considered
- two-shotFrame containing two subjects
- insertPlace within another thing
Aesthetic quality of defocus
- pull-focusCinematic sharpness transition
- soft-focusIntentionally blurred imagery
- sharpnessKeenness of edge, mind, or image
- apertureAdjustable optical inlet
pan
Shallow cooking vessel
crane · jib · steadicam · handheld · zoom · glide · orbit · sweep · follow · push-in
lens
Light-focusing curved glass
steadicam · gimbal · jib · rig · slider · drone · monitor · viewfinder · filters · anamorphic
framing
Structural or contextual shaping
- balanceSteadiness or amount owed
- symmetryInvariance under transformation
- headroomOverhead vertical space
depth · layering · foreground · background · blocking · staging · centered · off-center · diagonal
exposure
State of being unprotected
- contrastNotable difference between things
- high-keyExtremely or obviously
- low-keyRestrained and understated
chiaroscuro · silhouette · backlight · diffusion · shadows · highlights
close-up
Near-range photograph
- over-the-shoulderWorn across one shoulder
- point-of-viewPosition from which something's considered
- two-shotFrame containing two subjects
insert · cutaway · bird's-eye · panoramic · split-screen
bokeh
Aesthetic quality of defocus
- pull-focusCinematic sharpness transition
- soft-focusIntentionally blurred imagery
- sharpnessKeenness of edge, mind, or image
aperture · f-stop · tilt-shift
cameraworkediting
Refining content for clarity
post-production · sound design · sound recording · visual effects · color grading
cameraworkanimation
Technique creating movement illusion
illustration · computer-generated imagery · hand-drawn animation · rotoscoping · graphic design