Camera Movements

Pan- A pan is a movement that scans the scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned.

Tilt- A tilt is a movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise it is very similar to the camera movement of pan.

Dolly Shots- This involves the camera being placed on a moving vehicle and moves alongside the action, generally following a moving figure or object. A dolly shot may be a good way of portraying movement, the journey of a character for instance, or for moving from a long shot to a close-up.

Crane Shots- These are basically Dolly shots in the air. A crane can be used as a useful way of moving a camera - it can move up, down, left, right, swooping in on action or moving diagonally out of it.

Steadicam- Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizing mount for motion picture cameras that mechanically isolates it from the operator's movement. It allows for a smooth shot, even when moving quickly over an uneven surface.

Handheld- Handheld camera movements can provide specific tones and emotions to a viewer. In found footage films such as Cloverfield, the shaky camera effect is used to represent a home video effect.

Zoom- This involves changing the focal length of the lens to make the subject appear closer or further away in the frame. 

Reverse zoom- A single shot which moves away from a particular subject. When done very quickly it can displace the audience, but it can also be used to show the wider picture or context of an image.