Working in rock pools got me thinking about Roger Deakins...

I was filming footage for my stock archive recently, in the beautiful rivers of the Cederberg in the Western Cape, South Africa.

These rivers flow naturally from deep archaic water stored in massive reservoirs below the mountains.

The material that resonated was the maco wide-angle shots of the small gulleys and streams where the water accelerates and creates bubbles.

Looking at the footage got me thinking about camera movement. Should I have tried some subtle left-to-right pans in the shots?

Sir Roger Deakins. one of the greatest and most celebrated cinematographers of all time, has this to say about camera movement

"I think there are times to move the camera, there are times to follow the character, and there are times to stay back and allow the audience to observe that character within the space. Sometimes it would be stronger to keep the camera static on a wide shot"

How can I be more intentional with my camera movement?

Here are four key questions to help you deal with movement:

1. Does the camera move serve the narrative intent and story
2. Does the move evoke the desired emotion in the audience
3. Does the move serve to reinforce the visual language of the film?
4. Does the move control audience focus and engagement

In short, intentional camera movement is an essential aspect of cinematography that goes way beyond simple aesthetics.

It serves as a powerful storytelling tool that can convey emotions, perspectives, and themes, which all ultimately enrich the cinematic experience for the audience.

if you are interested in learning more about such tools in the context of wildlife and documentary filmmaking, sign up to receive news on my upcoming course on my website, www.rogerhorrocks.com