Posted: 11/19/2005 7:15:16 AM EDT
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There are two types of camera trickery I'd love to understand. The first is seen in motion pictures, and is usually employed when a character is first told of some monumental item. The camera zooms in on him, but the background, inexplicably, zooms OUT.  The second is being used very heavily in newer documentaries. An old photograph is split apart so it looks like it's in 3D, and then the different pieces are moved seperately to give the illusion of movement. Again, Now, the second one is obviously done with computers, but I'd love to understand how it's done. I simply have no earthly clue how they do the first one, though. |
I think you're right, the whole camera moves. |
Yep. Alfred Hitchcock perfected it way back in his hay day. I used the effect a lot with my films in college. |
Nah. See, when you zoom in on something, everything moves closer, so it appears. Then when you physically move closer while zooming out... your target object can stay just about the same size in the frame, depending on how fast you move and zoom out. If it's done right, the target object stays the same size, and it gives just the appearance of everything else moving away. |
| The second effect is likely an effect similar to the bullet time camera effect that seems to be in vogue these days. That's the one where the subject freezes and the camera pans around him 360 degrees. You could simply shoot an old photograph from multiple angles and manipulate the 3d effect on a computer. |
Yes, that's how it's done. You can do it easily with a handheld camera if you're careful. I've done it and have been very successful at it. |
Proximity to the subject changes the relative size of the background and subject. It also changes the absolute size of the subject, however, so you have to zoom in while moving back or zoom out while moving forward in order to keep the subject the same size. |