camera movements in non still media

[thedeep]

so I work in visual effects, and I came across this article in one of the trade blogs:

http://www.fxguide.com/qt/161/mercury-masterpiece

they say that the spot used camera movements---this is the first time I've heard of movements being used outside of still photography. Know of any others?

I think it's online here, but I can't view the quicktime on linux:
http://www.ragingartists.com/artists-in-advertising/2007/09/tight_mercury_synapse.html

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've heard of things like Zoerk adapters and tilt/shift lensmounts used on cine cameras.

You might see if there's anything on this subject on the forums at cinematography.com.

[Robert A. Zeichner]

Shift and tilt lenses have been around in the motion picture business for a number of years. Unlike with most view camera applications, the objective was to employ what I call the "Anti-Scheimpflug Rule". This, to reduce the depth of field to an absolute minimum thereby throwing just about everything out of focus except some small isolated area of a product, typically for TV ads. It was a look that was popular and like many looks in the advertizing game, has become old. The Ad folks are always looking for something new.

[Mark Woods]

I was actually involved in the design of the Clairmont Swing & Shift lenses. And the original intent was to use the Scheimplfug effect. But as the system got out in the field they were adapted in way we never imagined. They came out in the early 90's I believe. BTW, Daniel Pearl is a well know Music Video DP who also shot the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

[Emmanuel BIGLER]

The French documentary movie "Microcosmos" (Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou) about insect life uses a macro lens with tilt on a movie camera in order to extend the usable depth of field. The insect move in a plane slanted w/respect to the film plane, so it is possible to exted DOF by the usual Scheimpflug rule.
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/136358/MicroCosmos/overview

[Uusilehto]

The use of lens movements has been rising steadily on television productions in the last few years. At least in Finland, it is not uncommon to see some movements used on commercials.

Also, the TV show "Heroes" makes extensive use of focus plane swinging and tilting. it is used for over-the-shoulder dialog scenes to bring both characters into focus, most often resulting in having only one of the eyes of the camera-facing characters' eyes in focus.

[keith english]

It would be much like the popular "lens-baby" on your D-SLR wouldn't it? I have wondered it it could used like a pseudo view camera front lens movement to increase depth of field instead of reduce it, which it is popularly used for. Has anyone tried this?

[thedeep]

great info, gotta love this board!

I will have to check out heroes and microcosmos (which a few friends saw a long time ago and raved about).