In this tutorial, we share the different ways you can move your camera during an interview and how that impacts your audience. 

For most filmmakers, an interview is a rather locked off shot. However, moving your camera, and how you move it, can bring an interview to life and add an entirely new dimension to the emotion.

If you’re considering adding movement to your interview, make sure you have a fluid head that can handle the weight of your camera and that you’ve taken the time to properly balance it. This is absolutely critical to ensuring you can move the camera the way you want for long periods of time.

As you start to move the camera, think about the amount of movement and the shape of the movement.

Harder edges with slightly more movement — movements that more resemble letters like Z or W — will help convey more of a harsh tone. This can be really helpful in times of struggle or conflict in your story.

On the other hand, moving the camera in a softer and more rounded shape, such as an S, is great to add a more natural human element while keeping things feeling warmer and safer. This is very fitting for the journey and the resolution within your story.

And in case you’re wondering how the short piece for FiftyLicks turned out, we thought we’d share that with you here as well.

Have you tried moving the camera for one of your interviews? If so, how did it work for you and what did you notice about the resulting film?

This filmmaking tutorial on Mastering Tripod Interview Movement takes us on a journey to explore how subtle movements in the tripod can breathe life into an interview. If you’re looking to understand how to add an entirely new dimension to the emotion of your interviews, this summary will provide you with the key insights from the video. For those eager to cut to the chase, let’s dive right in:

Introduction to Tripod Interview Movement

• The Common Approach: Most filmmakers lock off the tripod during an interview, creating a static look that feels safe and produced.
• Adding Human Feel: The video emphasizes that adding subtle movement to the tripod can create a more human and natural feel, leading to a deeper connection with the character.

Setting Up the Tripod

• Setting the Height: The height of the tripod should be set according to the story and character. It can make the character look powerful, small, or relatable.
• Balancing the Camera: Ensuring that the camera is balanced so that it doesn’t jerk up or down.
• Adjusting Tension: The tension on the tripod head should be adjusted for smooth movement.

Two Methods of Tripod Movement

• The Maluma Technique: This technique creates a soft and rolling feeling, making the audience feel calm or happy. It’s suitable for content that is meant to feel pleasant and enjoyable.
• The Zucchini Technique: This method is harsh and edgy, making the audience feel anxious and intense. It’s used for content that requires a more dramatic and forceful tone.

Final Tips

• Keeping Movement Random: The movement should be random to avoid annoying the audience with a constant pattern.
• Practice: Mastering tripod interview movement takes practice, and filmmakers are encouraged to think through their story and start moving the camera to move the audience.

To recap, we always need to remember that how we move the camera is how we’ll move the viewer. A locked off static shot feels far more safe and produced, whereas moving the camera wildly and sharply can leave the viewer feeling disoriented.