Storytelling has become all the rage in marketing—and with good cause. Stories can inspire, empower, encourage, or even enrage. The bottom line is that a good story connects directly with its audience and increases the chance of action.
This becomes even truer when a story is brought to life through video. The sincerity behind a person’s eyes or that smirk a person makes while reflecting on a cherished memory. These visuals have a power that is unmatched by any other medium.
But facial expressions aren’t the only aspect of video that contribute to how it’s interpreted. The way the camera moves throughout a scene can change the entire feel of the story. This means it’s something that should be carefully considered.
Let’s take a closer look at three ways camera movement can improve your storytelling.
Adds Kinetic Energy
Imagine watching a chase scene in which the camera never moves. It will probably lose much of the drama of the situation.
Now imagine that same chase scene, but this time, the camera follows the action in the scene. The energy of the scene completely changes.
Without getting too scientific, kinetic energy is simply the energy of motion. Adding camera movement to a scene can greatly enhance the motion of the characters—thus, adding kinetic energy.
This simple act can draw your audience deeper into the narrative and improve the effectiveness of your story.
Enhances Emotion
Emotion is powerful in storytelling. It helps your audience connect and relate to your subject. While a photograph can evoke a lot of emotion, there are limitations to the narrative.
The same goes for a scene with a stationary camera. Adding a little camera movement can reveal and enhance emotions that may otherwise go unnoticed by your audience.
For example, a quick push-in can create a sense of surprise. While a slow dolly can create tension and build suspense. Understanding how each camera movement impacts the emotion of the scene can go a long way in rounding out the narrative of your story.
Controls Perspective
If a scene is shot from three different angles, each will convey a slightly different narrative. You control how that narrative flows by moving the camera at certain moments in the scene.
This also ensures you get full coverage of the scene—further immersing your audience in your story. Depending on the perspective you choose, your audience may feel like they’re looking in on an intimate conversation or that they are living out the action.
In the end, the little details help reinforce your narrative and bring even more power to your story. While camera movement shouldn’t be overused, interweaving strategic moments of movement can add depth to your storytelling.
Storytelling is what we do, so whether you’d like to learn more or you’re ready to tell your brand’s story, feel free to get in touch with us today. And be sure to follow us on social media to keep the conversation going: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.