ABSTRACT
Dolly zooms are created by combining a dolly shot with a zoom shot, synchronized so that as the camera dollies towards a subject the zoom lens simultaneously glides to a shorter focal length setting, or when dollied away from a subject to a longer focal length. When executed flawlessly, a dolly zoom shot keeps the subject’s size constant in the frame while the perspective of the background changes drastically, appearing to get closer or farther away depending on whether the zoom is set to a wide-angle or a telephoto setting. The highly unusual shift in perspective that happens in a dolly zoom shot can communicate a character is under extreme emotional or psychological distress. Dolly zoom shots that incorporate extra long dolly moves also make it more challenging to keep a subject in focus, especially when shooting with a shallow depth of field.
