Movies that have zooms in them

[drew_town]

I was at this conference not too long ago and somehow it came up that zooms are only used in amateur products that cannot afford a dolly or jib. And yesterday a coworker passed me a book that was a recent publication and had this blaring, condemning statement about how you should never zoom in a production without any context. Let's list some mid to big budget movies (not docs because a lot of them have zooms and no direct-to-dvds) that have zooms in them and which shots they are. Feel free to comment if you like. I know that any technique can be poorly executed and lets assume that goes without saying. The Vertigo shot doesn't count because it's an effect.

 

The Bourne Supremacy- there's many. When MD gets in his Jeep to find his chick.

The Quick and the Dead- introducing the shootouts.

Predator- zooms that look deep into the jungle.

The Graduate's opening shot

 

I know there's a lot more that came to mind during the discussion that I just can't think of right now. I'll post them as they come to me. Have at it. I'm curious what you guys think. FYI, I zoom all the time in my productions and don't see a problem with the technique at all. Again going back to the execution statement above.

[Micah Fernandez]

Only one film comes to mind right now: Kikujiro (Takeshi Kitano)

 

Unmotivated zooms (just like any unmotivated camera movement) does scream "Student film!!" but they do have their place. Use them sparingly because a production filled with them can be very tiring to watch.

[Gordon Highland]

Pretty much all of Robert Rodriguez, Robert Altman, and P.T. Anderson's movies. They do a lot of dolly push-ins too, but there's defintely mucho zooms in there.

 

I'm not a big fan of unmotivated zooms in film if you can avoid them, prefer the dolly, unless it's for effect like someone's being observed from a distance or something. But then again I work mostly in video with a limited grip package and zoom is about all I can do most of the time.

[David Mullen ASC]

Ridley and Tony Scott are fond of zooms, but they use them well, like slight creep-ins on inserts to make them more interesting.

 

I was just reading the original 1968 article on "Camelot" where Richard Kline mentions that there are only four dolly shots in the whole movie but a lot of zooms.

 

Altman and Kubrick used zooms heavily -- look at "Barry Lyndon" for example.

 

Peter Weir is fond of zooming; see "Fearless" for example. He likes zooms that look like zooms, not hidden ones.

[Josh Bass]

There's a few in "The Village", and "Kill Bill Vol 1."

[Rik Andino]

Alot of 70's films have zooms...figure it was the all the rage back then.

 

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, Death Rides a Horse...

As well as a few other spaghetti westerns

(this is why The Quick & The Dead uses them)

 

The French Connection has a few of them, as well as Bullitt & Easy Rider

Foxy Brown and many other blaxpliotation films also...

 

There are lots of movies that still use it today--but it's not as blatant as the 70's

Unmotivated movement can seem very amateurist

A jib and a dolly can read student film if done unproperly as well

It's how you use your tools...

 

Anyone who's attacking the use of zooms

Doesn't really understand the creative aspect of filmmaking

You can use all the tools at your disposal and make it look good...

If you know when and how...

[Ilmari Reitmaa]

Alot of 70's films have zooms...figure it was the all the rage back then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Exorcist has a lot of zoom, and there's some in early Spielberg stuff like Duel which is a kind of a visual extravaganza anyway, Sugarland Express and Jaws... come to think of it, there's an occasional zoom in pretty much anything by Spielberg, up to stuff lensed by Kaminski at least.

 

Then there are Mike Nichols' films like The Graduate and Carnal Knowledge, and there were a couple quite bold zooms in Closer as well.

[Hamid Khozouie]

Bertolucci and Storaro used many ZOOMS in Conformist . You see the film and use it in proper way ...........thank you

[Tim J Durham]

Let's list some mid to big budget movies (not docs because a lot of them have zooms and no direct-to-dvds) that have zooms in them and which shots they are. Feel free to comment if you like. I know that any technique can be poorly executed and lets assume that goes without saying. The Vertigo shot doesn't count because it's an effect.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I would have said, "Jaws" but you excluded it, for me that is one powerful use of the zoom 'course you can't do it anymore now that it's been done. Everybody in the "I'm tired of seeing this shot" thread will call you on it.

 

"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" used a few but the zooms served the comedy. The problem with zooming as opposed to dollying is that your eyes can't do it so it's almost always noticeable (subconsciously for non-pros) and takes you out of the state of involvement with the story.

 

Tim

[Wendell_Greene]

Mc Cabe and Mrs. Miller

[Ilmari Reitmaa]

I would have said, "Jaws" but you excluded it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are non-Vertigo zooms on Jaws as well.

 

Oh, Lawrence of Arabia, of course. Really, the notion that "zooms are only used in amateur products that cannot afford a dolly or jib" is simply ignorant.

Edited April 29, 2005 by Ilmari Reitmaa

[Christian Appelt]

"Zoomiest" non-exploitation film I remember:

 

THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976, D: Nicolas Roeg).

 

If zooming + panning + moving the camera turns you on,

this is the movie you always hoped for. :wacko:

Edited April 29, 2005 by Christian Appelt

[Boone Hudgins]

The Long Goodbye was full of zooms.

 

A lot of Chinese martial arts movies have zooms.

 

There was a cool reverse zoom in Batman that started as a closeup of Jack Palance and slowly revealed his gang.

 

Terry Gilliam uses some pretty subtle zooms (especially in Time Bandits and 12 Monkeys). Sam Raimi, not so subtle.

[Tim J Durham]

There are non-Vertigo zooms on Jaws as well.

 

Oh, Lawrence of Arabia, of course. Really, the notion that "zooms are only used in amateur products that cannot afford a dolly or jib" is simply ignorant.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I certainly wasn't making that point.

[drew_town]

Here's the exact quote I mentioned as it appears in the book, Digital Moviemaking by Scott Billups:

 

"NIX THE ZOOM

 

One of the biggest tip-offs that you're watching video is a zoom. DON'T ZOOM! DON'T EVER ZOOM! It doesn't matter whether or not you think a zoom will enhance the end result, you are wrong! Go back and look at your top ten movies again. You can probably use the same sheet on your yellow pad. Not a "dolly" or a "truck" or a "push" where the camera actually moves closer to the subject, I'm talking a zoom. After viewing all ten of your favorite movies please notice how nice and clean your yellow pad is."

 

While some parts I get, it seems pretty ridiculous. Pretty off course if you ask me.

 

Good responses everyone. Thanks.

[Ilmari Reitmaa]

I certainly wasn't making that point.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, didn't mean that to come out that way, I wasn't calling you ignorant. Quoted you just to point out that there are those non-Vertigo zooms on Jaws.

Edited April 29, 2005 by Ilmari Reitmaa

[Ignacio Aguilar]

Some films on which I remember zoom shots:

 

-Sergio Leone's Once upon a time in the West and Once upon a time in America.

 

-Michael Mann's Manhunter.

 

-Ridley Scott's The Duellists.

 

-Luchino Visconti's The Damned, Death in Venice and Ludwig.

 

-Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut.

 

-Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

 

-Wolfgang Petersen's Troy.

 

-Sydney Pollack's The Interpreter.

[Ryan Puckett]

Leon / the Professional

[Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith]

Dead Poets Society

[Ignacio Aguilar]

I was just reading the original 1968 article on "Camelot" where Richard Kline mentions that there are only four dolly shots in the whole movie but a lot of zooms.

 

I've just seen Richard Fleischer's The Boston Strangler (also shot by Richard H. Kline, ASC) and there are a lot of zooms too.

 

David, did the article on Camelot talk about specific lenses used on that film?

[Christian Appelt]

did the article on Camelot talk about specific lenses used on that film?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Panavision 1960s zoom lenses, IIRC some prime lens shots in the Spain exteriors.

CAMELOT was shot with a slightly lower light level, using only tungsten light, no arcs like they usually had on these epic films at that time.

[Guest Daniel J. Ashley-Smith]

Actually I just noticed, there is an amateurish zoom which I don't think was supposed to be there, in the film "S.W.A.T". I think the camera op just quickly went in closer for the editor to use the closeup. Might be wrong though, but it didn't look good to me.

[McGooGoo]

Anything Stanley Kubrick directed.

[Matt Pacini]

Given the fact that zoom shots were very "in" up until the early 80's or so, I think you should have limited this to say, the last 20 years or so.

Too easy to find zooms all over anything prior to 1980.

 

The most recent example I can think of, that was not a low budget film (or a film by someone who should know better), is that lightening-quick zoom in Troy, in the scene were Pitt is giving sword fighting lessons to his nephew or whoever the hell it was.

 

I hate zooms, unless they're REAAAAALLLLLY slow zoom-ins.

 

MP

[Gordon Highland]

There's even one in the last Star Wars movie (Ep 2), where Yoda's on a ship deploying the clone troopers in the heat of battle. They did a quick snap zoom into the ship, probably to heighten the intensity like documentary war footage, but that shot sticks out very awkwardly for me, especially being all CGI.

 

About four years ago someone did a 3D animation of some character that comes to life and dances on a toolbench in a garage, and it totally looks like it was shot with a handheld consumer camcorder; he had the lousy zoom (and servo sounds) and autofocus breathing and all that, and it really sold the realism. Wish I could find that again.