Glossary

Comprehensive glossary of filmmaking terms, concepts, and techniques.

Showing 12 terms

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Search: "dolly-shot"

A

Arc Shot

A shot where the camera moves in a curved path around a subject, keeping consistent distance.

Camera & OpticsFoundational

B

Boom Shot

A shot in which the camera moves vertically, rising or descending, on a crane, jib arm, or pedestal.

Camera & OpticsFoundational

C

Crane Shot

A shot captured by a camera mounted on a crane arm, enabling smooth vertical and horizontal movement.

Camera & OpticsFoundational

D

Dolly Zoom

A camera technique combining simultaneous physical camera movement and zoom adjustment in opposite directions, keeping the subject constant while the background distorts.

Camera & OpticsIntermediate

Doorway Dolly

A compact camera dolly narrow enough to pass through standard doorways, used for tracking shots in confined spaces.

ProductionIntermediate

G

Grip

A crew member responsible for camera support equipment, rigging, and light-control tools on set.

ProductionFoundational

H

Handheld Shot

A shot captured with the camera held by hand, without a tripod, dolly, or mechanical stabilisation system.

Camera & OpticsFoundational

S

Steadicam

A body-worn camera stabilizer that isolates the camera from operator movement using a mechanical arm and counterbalanced sled.

Camera & OpticsIntermediate

T

Tracking Shot

A shot where the camera physically moves through space to follow a subject or reveal an environment.

Camera & OpticsFoundational

V

Vertigo Effect

A camera technique combining a simultaneous dolly and zoom in opposite directions, creating a disorienting spatial distortion effect.

Camera & OpticsIntermediate

W

Western Dolly

A large, heavy-duty camera dolly carrying operators and gear on track or pneumatic tires.

ProductionIntermediate

Z

Zoom Shot

A shot where the focal length changes during recording, magnifying or reducing the subject optically.

Camera & OpticsFoundational