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Filmmaking / Field notes

Six camera moves. One clear intention.

A quick reference for writing controlled camera directions: locked-off, push-in, pull-back, pan, lateral tracking, and orbit. Start slow, keep the subject stable, and test each move in isolation.

4 min readCheat sheet
THE STARTING POINT

A prompt to play with.

IMAGE / CONCEPT PROMPT
LOCKED-OFF: stationary camera, only the subject or environment moves.
PUSH-IN: camera moves slowly toward the subject; preserve geometry.
PULL-BACK: camera moves away, gradually revealing the surroundings.
PAN: camera rotates horizontally from a fixed position.
TRACK: camera slides sideways, maintaining subject distance.
ORBIT: camera moves in a gentle arc around the subject; keep identity and lighting consistent.

Make the idea your own.

  1. 01

    Choose the intention

    Use a push-in for focus, a pull-back for a reveal, or a locked shot when the scene already has enough movement.

  2. 02

    Keep the request small

    Ask for a slow move and a modest distance. Strong camera changes require the model to invent unseen surfaces.

  3. 03

    Inspect the edges

    Check faces, hands, straight lines, and reflections frame by frame before deciding a take is usable.

KEEP THIS ONE

All the notes, in one place.

Download the prompts and workflow as a simple Markdown file you can keep, edit, and use.

A LITTLE SOMETHING TO MAKE

Keep the idea.
Make it yours.

Get the prompt, motion direction, and step-by-step workflow in one downloadable file.

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