10 Cinematography Techniques to Try

People tell stories in so many creative ways, but sometimes the basic techniques and shots are just not working for a scene or getting tired. When that happens, creatives find new ways to innovate. Whether you are looking for the perfect way to shoot your film or just want to try out some new cool techniques, here are ten fun cinematography techniques to try. 

1. Dolly Zoom

Also known as the Hitchcock zoom effect, it was initially thought of by Alfred Hitchcock and used in his 1958 film Vertigo. The technique involves zooming in or out and then dollying, or moving the camera, towards or away from the subject. Dollying out and zooming in creates a longer focal length that causes magnification and a narrower angle view. This flattens an image making it look like the background is getting closer and tighter around the subject. Dollying in and zooming out shortens the focal length which causes less magnification and a wider angle of view, curving the image and making it seem like the background is growing around the subject. 

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 Jaws uses this technique and has become a famous example of how the dolly zoom can be used to achieve a distorted, dizzying effect. With a dolly in and zoom out, he achieves the desired effect of showing Brody’s unease and fear. See this scene with Film Literacy’s analysis.

1. Point-of-View

When the camera acts as the character’s eyes, it is as if you are seeing through the character’s point of view. This is also known as a first-person shot. A POV shot helps the audience see through the subject’s eyes and can be a powerful tool in helping the audience feel what the character is feeling. POV shots are normally shot with a hand-held camera and are staples in slasher movies to build suspense. Filmmakers can choose whose perspective the point of view shot is from.

A unique example of using POV is in Brian Levant’s Beethoven where Cinematographer Victor J. Kemper shoots from the perspective of Beethoven the dog. This gives a new perspective and adds to the chaos in the scene. 

Brian Levant’s Beethoven (1992) - Eyecandy: First-Person  

1. Bird’s Eye/Overhead 

The overhead shot refers to shots that are taken from above the subjects. A bird’s-eye shot involves an overhead shot taken from a very high vantage point, giving you a large view of the scene. Using an overhead or bird’s eye shot gives a divine-like perspective that can make the subjects feel smaller.

A great example of this technique being used in a recent film is in Laca Guadagnino’s Challengers. Showing the intensity of the sport and the power of a little tennis ball, cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom uses a shot of Art Donaldson tossing his tennis ball right up at the camera. 

Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers (2024) - Eyecandy: Overhead

1. Arc Shot 

When a camera circles its subjects that is known as an arc shot. The camera typically moves in a smooth circle or arc around its subject. This type of shot is used in many different ways as it can follow both static and moving subjects. It tends to give an elegant and sophisticated sense but it can also create a feeling of being trapped or surrounded. 

In Dune: Part Two (2024), Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Greig Fraser use an arc shot when Paul Atreides and Chani kiss in the desert. By using the arc shot, they create a sense of intense expanse, showing miles of dunes, like they are the only ones in the world. 

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two (2024) - Eyecandy: Arc 

1. Motion Blur and Step Printing

Playing with the shutter speed of a camera can create some really cool visual effects especially combined with any sort of movement. The use of motion blur means creating visual streaks or smears that can come from the movements of the camera and or the subjects. Using motion blur creates a cool effect that can show the passing of time or create a distorted, fuzzy aesthetic. 

Wong Kar-wai became a master at this technique, using motion blur and a technique called step printing, duplicating frames to slow down a sequence, within his films. Notably, his use of these techniques in his film Chungking Express (1994) helps him create an environment where the subject seems detached from the world and emphasizes certain motions. See how he used motion blur and step printing in A Void in Frame’s Analysis of Chungking Express.  

1. Cut-Ins

When one shot cuts to another shot that is more zoomed in on the subject or something in the frame, that is called a cut-in. Using cut-ins draws the audience into specific elements of the scene that is being cut into. It emphasizes certain aspects and emotions in the characters. 

One of the many examples of this is in Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash (2014), where he uses cuts from musicians playing their instruments and more specifically, their hands moving lightning fast over their keys. This emphasizes the intensity of playing an instrument. 

Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash (2014)- Eyecandy: Cut-ins 

1. Work with a Color Palette

In such a visual medium, every visual detail matters– even colors. Colors have such significant meanings that it is no wonder that using certain colors in a shot can evoke certain feelings. Playing with a color palette and strategically picking colors for your story can help add extra depth to the characters’ emotions and environment. 

Wes Anderson is a master of using a color palette. He often chooses a bright and saturated color palette that juxtaposes and offsets his darker subjects. One example is the Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and its vibrant use of different reds and pinks. It helps him create a whimsical world with real topics like death and war. 

1. Snorricam

The snorricam involves a bodycam that is typically strapped to the actor to emphasize their state. As it is commonly done from a lower angle, it can give a feeling of intoxication or panic. From these shots, the character's movements and reactions are more intimate and heightened. 

An example of this technique is in Mark Waters’ Freaky Friday (2003) when Tess Colman wakes up in her daughter’s body. The shot helps create a distorted feeling of something being off that the character doesn’t quite know yet, but will soon find out that she has switched bodies with her daughter. 

Mark Waters’ Freaky Friday (2003) - Eyecandy: Snorricam 

1. Foreground and Background

The use of foreground and background has long helped filmmakers tell stories with layers and nuance. An image can normally be divided into three sections– the foreground, middle ground, and background. Putting subjects in each of these different sections can provide context or an added layer of storytelling. When something is in the foreground it can be the main subject, what can be seen from an outsider’s perspective whereas putting something in the background could be foreshadowing. 

Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941) is a popular example of the use of foreground and background. In the scene, Kane’s mother sells away his future in the foreground while Kane plays in the snow outside in the background. It shows child Kane unaware of his future and with the framing of the window visual represents how he is imprisoned in his future. 

1. Double Exposure 

Double exposure visually looks like the stacking of two pieces of footage on top of each other. In technical terms when using film, it is exposing your film to light twice so two sequences play simultaneously on top of each other. It creates a dream-like distortion where you can see both images at once. 

The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) uses this technique to show Evalyn in her different multiverses. In this film, it calls back to the idea that all the realities are connected and happening simultaneously. Using double exposure helped create this surrealist illusion that helped tell the multiuniversal story. 

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert's Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) - Eyecandy: Double Exposure

There are so many ways for you to be creative with cinematography techniques to tell your stories. The more you try, the more tools you will have to play with. Discover more creatives using cool techniques on Autuernet today. 

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