I feel like the rise in being able to shoot digitally and not on film has really affected cinematography. Frequently, I’m seeing boring shots and a lot of static cameras. <\/p>\n
I don’t need them to move the camera all the time; I need them to care about why they’re choosing these shots. <\/p>\n
I’m not sure if it’s to save money or because everything is shot on volume stages and they need the right angles for CGI, but it feelsl ike we’ve lost the art of camera movement in this industry. <\/p>\n
That’s why I think every cinematographer out there should watch this new video by The House of Tabula<\/a>, which is a deep dive into the stylistic choices and impact of camera movement in filmmaking.<\/p>\n Let’s dive in. <\/p>\n The Art Of Moving The Camera\u00a0<\/p>\n Like I said in the opener, I feel like we’ve lost our way when it comes to moving the camera. It should be giving the viewer a point of view or plunge us directly into the action. <\/p>\n Camera movement evokes excitement, energy, and dynamism. It has to connect us to the events on screen. <\/p>\n Think of the raw, immersive feel of a handheld camera in a film like City of God, which makes the chaos feel palpable and real. Or consider the meticulously planned tracking shots in a Scorsese film, which build a sense of urgency<\/p>\n A moving camera is a character in itself.<\/p>\n But it doesn’t have to always move… <\/p>\n The Strength in Stillness<\/p>\n There’s a lot of power in a static shot. A still camera, the video explains, can offer a sense of peace, stability, and objectivity. It allows the viewer to observe the world within the frame without intrusion, taking in the entire composition.<\/p>\n It can slow things down, calming the audience or lulling them into a certain emotion or mindset. <\/p>\n Filmmakers like Japan’s Yasujir\u014d Ozu perfected this with his famous “tatami shot,” where the camera is placed at a low, still height to quietly observe the subtle dynamics of family life.<\/p>\n We have a whole post on that vase shot<\/a>! <\/p>\n The static camera in a film like First Reformed creates a cold, clinical, and indifferent world, trapping its characters within the unblinking frame. <\/p>\n Stillness isn’t a lack of action; it’s a deliberate choice that forces us to look closer.<\/p>\n But it needs to be planned out. There needs to be a reason why we’re still. <\/p>\n Expressionism vs. Formalism<\/p>\n Diving deeper, the video connects these two approaches to fundamental filmmaking philosophies. <\/p>\n The moving camera often leans into expressionism<\/a>, embracing chaos, emotion, and even abstraction to convey a feeling. <\/p>\n