Camera Movement Inquiries

juanwj · March 1, 2012

Hi,

Would like to inquire on the camera movements in this scene of Kill Bill (which I found pretty interesting) at

:

It starts off with a tracking shot, followed by a series of dolly shots and tracking shots.

From 0:26 to 0:32 would it be considered panning, since right after that, it's pretty clear it's a crane shot where it moves down.

As for 0:53 up till the end, would it be considered a zoom or a dolly shot? I'm thinking it's zoom based on my gut feeling and how the perspective isn't changing but I'm not quite sure about this.

Would appreciate any advice! :)

Paul Maibaum ASC · March 1, 2012

Appears to me to be a dolly in combination with a zoom, a slight displacement between the motorcycle helmet in the foreground and the out of focus bottles behind the bar can be seen. It looks as if the zoom starts at around 51 seconds into the clip. This kind of move is often referred to as "burying the zoom" within the camera move. It's executed very well in terms of the timing of the zoom in conjunction with the camera move, both being completed at the same point in time.

juanwj · March 2, 2012

Now that I think about it, it makes sense since the subject pretty much stays the same size with the background growing larger. Thanks!:)

As for 0:26-0:32 I guess that would be a tracking instead of a panning shot and followed by a crane shot up till 0:52 then?

George Ebersole · March 3, 2012

It looks like a push and not a zoom. The little bump at the end gives it away.

Tom Jensen · March 3, 2012

It looks like a push and not a zoom. The little bump at the end gives it away.

It's definitely a zoom in combination with a dolly. As the go by the wall you can see it get bigger fast. Then look at the bottles on the wall how they grow big and then settle in size as the camera still moves.

Jaron Berman · March 3, 2012

If I'm not mistaken, that's steadicam. Almost positive of it.

There's another shot in that setting where Larry McConkey does a massively complicated crane step off in combination with some well-timed walls-flying-out. To my eye, this looks to be a crane step-off as well - but clean enough that it looks like a techno move until the very end. The beauty of it is that his actual step is completely hidden - just one bit of evidence of why he's the best op in the world.

Jaron Berman · March 3, 2012

http://steadishots.org/shots_detail.cfm?shotID=1

this is the other shot from the setup with a short description and quote from Larry.

Tom Jensen · March 4, 2012

If I'm not mistaken, that's steadicam. Almost positive of it.

There's another shot in that setting where Larry McConkey does a massively complicated crane step off in combination with some well-timed walls-flying-out. To my eye, this looks to be a crane step-off as well - but clean enough that it looks like a techno move until the very end. The beauty of it is that his actual step is completely hidden - just one bit of evidence of why he's the best op in the world.

Where do you think he stepped off the crane?

Tom Jensen · March 4, 2012

It would have had to been on some sort of platform because the couple coming down the steps goes under the camera. It's possible it was a steadicam on a crane because of the quality of the tilt down and the pan over. The end of the shot is definitely a physical move in with a zoom.

Edited March 4, 2012 by Tom Jensen

Jaron Berman · March 5, 2012

If he in fact actually stepped off at all and didn't ride the whole move (as he said he did for the other shot), the move would be hidden by the fast pan as the owners leave. Vertical movements have stopped at that point - i.e. he's feathered the crane move with the steadicam arm - from the moment the audience claps to the end of the clip it's all horizontal movement, so as the restaurant owners come down the stairs, the actual "step" off the crane is basically already done vertically - looks like the crane arm is at its lowest position. Just from looking at the clip it appears he did actually leave the crane (push-in at the end). More interesting than whether or not he left the crane are the little timing details of the extras - Mr. McConkey is brilliant when it comes to helping block creatively to liven-up shots and hide moves. If you watch carefully the moment where the owners walk out of frame you can see the timing of the group bowing - I would put money on it that McConkey asked to have them there at that moment to help hide the step-off and make the frame between the owners leaving and the push on Uma more interesting than a blank wall. Very cool shot that looks deceptively simple because its executed very very well.

Jaron Berman · March 5, 2012

and if you look at the other shot you can see the architecture of the space - the center audience area is lower than the outsides, though they likely built it out and cheated to make it work better for the shot. When the owners walk under the lens it's "plausible" but yes - likely thats the crane arm they're going under as he steps off it onto a built-up platform to remain at eye-level with uma. Similar in design to the hoffa shot that he did over the docks - using the crane step-off to bridge spaces and sweep over large horizontals.

http://steadishots.org/shots_detail.cfm?shotID=16

George Ebersole · March 5, 2012

It's definitely a zoom in combination with a dolly. As the go by the wall you can see it get bigger fast. Then look at the bottles on the wall how they grow big and then settle in size as the camera still moves.

I have to admit, I did call it a zoom at first, then not, but then back to a zoom again. It looked like what the other guy said, a combo with a crane and a zoom.