Three Examples of Effective and Motivated Camera Movement

Three Examples of Effective and Motivated Camera Movement

The first scene I chose is from Full Metal Jacket. The scene shows the newly enlisted men at their first lineup of boot camp. I want to focus on the camera movement of the first shot. The camera dollies out as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman walks down the single file line of men. This shot shows all the soldiers lined up and as the camera dollies out it reveals more soldiers. The camera movement stops once the drill instructor stops and speaks to one of the soldiers. This shot shows the uniform nature of the lineup. The camera movement gives the feeling that you are moving down the line with the drill instructor.

The next shot I chose is from the film Leaving Las Vegas. The film is about Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic who drinks himself to death in Las Vegas. The film shows him as his alcoholism gets progressively worse. This shot shows Ben at a liquor store stocking up on alcohol. The camera trucks from right to left following Ben as he walks down the aisle picking out liquor bottles. The camera movement is effective and motivated in that it shows a wall of alcohol, highlighting the source of his addiction. This scene shows him as being happy when he is around alcohol which the camera movement captures perfectly by moving down an aisle filled with alcohol.

This is the last scene in the film Hugo. The scene is one long continuous shot. I used a video that included behind the scenes footage of the shot to make it easier to see how the shot was done. The camera movement in this shot is used to capture everyone in the room. As the camera moves through the room and all the people it feels almost as though you are in the room walking around. This shot does an excellent job of wrapping the film up. The camera movement creates a truly unique effect.