{"id":118466,"date":"2019-08-20T07:00:58","date_gmt":"2019-08-20T12:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=118466"},"modified":"2020-04-20T16:13:45","modified_gmt":"2020-04-20T21:13:45","slug":"how-to-achieve-perfect-dolly-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/how-to-achieve-perfect-dolly-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dolly Shot: How It Works and Why It’s Powerful"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s nothing more cinematic than a great dolly shot, but they’re not always easy to pull off. Learn how dolly shots work technically and for storytelling, and how you can achieve them on your own.<\/h2>\n

The dolly shot is a common filmmaking technique that you\u2019ve likely heard of before \u2014 it’s nearly as common as a panning or zooming shot. Dolly shots have produced some of the most legendary scenes in movie history, like the dolly zoom into Chief Brody’s face in Jaws<\/em>, to more recent marvels, like cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema’s legion of tracking shots in Dunkirk<\/em>, Spectre<\/em>, and more.<\/p>\n

The dolly shot is an essential tool for filmmakers and cinematographers. In this guide, we’ll explore several dolly shot variations and different camera setups that are frequently used. We’ll also share some creative methods you can use to create your own dolly shot, for both professionals and filmmakers on a budget.<\/p>\n

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What Is a Dolly Shot?<\/h3>\n

The term dolly\u00a0refers to a wheeled cart, usually one that runs on rail tracks. A dolly shot\u00a0refers to the camera movement when a camera is mounted on a dolly. In a dolly shot, the camera moves towards, away from, or alongside your subject,\u00a0 which can be an actor, location setting, product, etc. Because the camera dolly is mounted on rail tracks the movement is smooth and controlled \u2013 almost as if the camera is floating.<\/p>\n

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Dolly Shot vs. Tracking Shot<\/h4>\n

Anything shot with a camera dolly can also be considered a tracking shot, because the camera is usually following or moving toward the subject. Tracking shots with camera dollies usually require the camera to film perpendicular to the rail tracks, otherwise the rail tracks will be visible in the scene. However, visible track rails can be removed in post-production, as you can see in the Mindhunter<\/em> VFX Breakdown<\/a>. If you have rails visible in your own shots, try using Content-Aware Fill in After Effects<\/a> to remove them.<\/p>\n

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Different Types of Dolly Shots<\/h3>\n

As the camera dolly moves, you can simultaneously adjust camera settings to create various dolly shot types, such as adjusting the camera tilt, rotation, or focal zoom. Here are some of the most important types of dolly shots.<\/p>\n

1. Dolly In and Dolly Out<\/h4>\n

A standard dolly shot usually refers to smoothly moving the camera forward or away from your subject, labeled “dolly in” and “dolly out,” respectively. Any secondary camera movement is minimal, such as a slight tilt up or down. Manually adjusting the focus distance may be required during the movement, in order to keep your subject in focus. This slow inward dolly shot in Citizen Kane<\/a> <\/em>is a classic example.<\/p>\n