Beginner’s guide to camera movements (part 1)

This week, we dive into gods and religions.

Explore the rich and varied realms of gods, divinities, and belief systems.

From ancient pantheons to modern or invented religions, let's capture the powerful narratives these traditions inspire.

Tips & Prompts: Beginner’s guide to camera movements (part 1)

Last week, we talked about different shot types. Now, let’s look at how you can add movement to your scenes.

Even a few basic camera movements can really change how your AI-generated videos look and feel.

Let’s break down the basics:

Static Shot: This is when the camera stays still, and everything happens inside the frame. It’s good when you want the viewer to focus on something without any distractions from movement.

Pan: Imagine turning your head from side to side. It’s perfect for adding energy, showing transitions, or creating a sense of cause and effect, like following an object in motion. A pan is also great for showing what a character is looking at, helping the audience see from their perspective.

Tilt: Imagine nodding your head up and down. It’s often used to reveal something important from a larger area or to give a sense of height or depth. Tilts can also create psychological effects—tilting down can make the subject appear smaller or less powerful, while tilting up can give a sense of strength or dominance.

Dolly: The camera physically moves closer to or farther from the subject, similar to zooming in or out, but with more depth and realism. It’s great for drawing attention to something or building tension as the subject gets closer. When pulling back, it’s perfect for revealing the surroundings or introducing new characters into the scene.

Tracking Shot: The camera follows the subject as it moves, like walking alongside someone to keep them in view. This adds energy and helps the viewer feel more connected to the action, making the audience feel like they’re part of the scene.

Truck: Similar to a tracking shot, but instead of following the subject, the camera moves left or right while keeping the same angle. It makes the viewer feel like they’re moving through the scene.

Now that you're familiar with different camera movements, let’s explore how to include them in your AI video prompts:

• Text to video: Text-only prompts work best when they follow a clear structure, breaking down the scene, subject, and camera movement into distinct sections.

  [shot type] [camera movement] [subject] [details…]

• Image to video: When using input images, prioritize describing the desired movement in the output, rather than the image content itself. Use key words (shot types or camera movements) in the description.

Prompts to apply camera movements

Sacred Landscapes:

• IMAGE prompt: A vast, serene mountain landscape at dawn, mist rolling over a sacred lake with ancient, ethereal structures reflecting on the water’s surface. Static wide shot to capture the calmness and grandeur of the scene, cinematic lighting with soft morning glow, slight fog enhancing a mystical atmosphere, shot on Fujifilm Velvia for rich color and depth

• VIDEO prompt: Tilt-down from sky to lake, with the fog dissipating to reveal ancient architecture against the serene water

Rituals and Ceremonies:

• IMAGE prompt: A ritualistic gathering under the stars in a remote desert, people wearing robes and holding luminous artifacts around a central fire. Tracking shot moving around the circle, capturing each participant’s expressions, low, warm ambient lighting with a golden glow, emphasizing unity and reverence. Shot with a Canon EOS for high detail and clarity

• VIDEO prompt: Dolly shot into center, circling participants slowly, emphasizing unity as each face turns toward the fire

Divine Power Framing:

• IMAGE prompt: A god-like figure towering over a misty forest, their arms spread wide as the trees bend slightly in their presence, shot with a wide-angle lens from a low angle to emphasize their immense power over nature. Intense morning light breaking through mist, silhouette effect around the figure’s edges, high-contrast cinematic look with soft bokeh in the background

• VIDEO prompt: Low-angle dolly-in toward the god-like figure, capturing trees bending subtly as morning light bursts around their silhouette, intensifying the sense of power over nature.

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"Goodbye, my friend. May the gods grant you peace."