I dunno about you folks, but I love zoom shots. I plan on using them constantly when I direct. Just thought we could share some fav zooms, and some directors and dp's who use them so well. *Note: as much as I like sweetness movie zooms, I hate shitty tv zooms to a max. You know what I mean...*
Kubrick is an obvious one.
Scorsese and PTA love to throw in the dolly-in/zoom-in combo.
Altman achieved perfection in Long Goodbye
Vilmos Zsigmond is a master of this, for Altman, as well as in Deer Hunter
Nic Roeg is great...
EDIT: De Palma !!
The zoom in on the dogsuit BJ in The Shining is one of the classics!!
2nd note: My camera teacher in film school actually wouldn't let us use zooms. He hated them because of their overuse on home video cameras...
Oh... please don't say the zoom out - dolly in shots. So overused.
I don't think I'm a big fan of zoom shots. I was made to realise this when I watched Death In Venice the other day: once I started noticing quite how many zooms there were in the movie it seriously started getting in the way for me (which annoyed me, because I really wanted to love that, otherwise, pretty damn beautiful movie). I dunno what it is about them... I like the idea that the camera is actually invading the space, via tracking, rather than just seeming to. I think it might have something to do with home movies - as your professor says - maybe I've been too affected by zoom's misuse.
However, one FANTASTIC zoom that comes to mind is the opening shot of The Conversation. Coppola digs that zoom shit.
Yeah, what are you talking about?
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"Vertigo"
One that I love is from Jackie Brown, takes place when Jackie is bailed out by Max Cherry (Foster), he zooms in very slowly to Max and that is alternated of Max's POV of Jackie walking toward him.
Lynch's also comes to mind.
Yes, thank you. That's what I mean.
And the Coppola one was a great example as well.
I thought Kubrick did some sensational fast-zooms in The Shining.
Yeah, that and Barry Lyndon and Clockwork are some of my favorite zoom movies.
I think we have had this thread about 8 times.... but Kubrick films aside im a sucker for contra-zooms, Jaws is indeed my favorite
If a "contra-zoom" is what I think it is, there's a fantastic one in Safe.
Quote from: SoNowThenOh... please don't say the zoom out - dolly in shots. So overused.
Trombone shots. Hitchcock, IIRC, invented 'em. Everyone else should be ashamed of using 'em. ;D
Me, I think one of the most memorable zooms ever was in
Dr. Strangelove.. It had nothing really to do with the movie, but it was so effective: the pilot zeroing in on the controls for the code for the manuver they were to perform.
Also, of course, there's always PTA in Magnolia. Probably one of the best zooms ever:
"But it really happened."Odd thing is, though, I have the shooting script with me, and I can't find where that it scripted. Craziest thing. I'm wondering if it's just one of those things Paul or someone suggested he add. Really curious.
A lot of zooms end up looking gimmicky, but the ones mentioned are pretty good. I can't count the number of times I've seen a high schooler's film that included a zoom-in dolly out. Like it's some brilliant find. It's become almost cliche. Hell, I figured it out when I was 11 or 12. Not a big deal.
SoNowThen mentioned Nicolas Roeg. I like the shot in Walkabout that zooms in on the bull that was just killed. It was an optical zoom done in the lab, not in camera, but it works. I particularly like the look of the grain increasing.
i love optical zooms. like in that beck video, that's hot.
Quote from: RaviA lot of zooms end up looking gimmicky, but the ones mentioned are pretty good. I can't count the number of times I've seen a high schooler's film that included a zoom-in dolly out. Like it's some brilliant find. It's become almost cliche. Hell, I figured it out when I was 11 or 12. Not a big deal.
SoNowThen mentioned Nicolas Roeg. I like the shot in Walkabout that zooms in on the bull that was just killed. It was an optical zoom done in the lab, not in camera, but it works. I particularly like the look of the grain increasing.
That one always gets me. Fucking LOVE it. Love it.
Well in that case, how bout zooming the coke zooming in BN
Man, I wanted to comment on this thread, but there's nothing new I can bring to the table! I love zooms when they're done right, which Kubrick never fails at. Another good one: In Eyes Wide Shut, at the orgy, when the girl interrupts the interrogation of Tom Cruise.
Quote from: GhostboyI love zooms when they're done right, which Kubrick never fails at.
fails = failed
people forget he stopped making movies when he died.
Zooms are gimmicky in nature, just like nearly every other camera movie, but they still work magnificently when done correctly.
Quote from: SoNowThenOh... please don't say the zoom out - dolly in shots. So overused.
What about zoom in - dolly out? WHAT ABOUT THAT?
:(
That's totally fine. I would love to use those shots.
Are there any great examples of those?
I think people should stop giving directors the credit for zooms and give it to the DP.
Technically, it would be a combination of the director, DP and camera operator and focus puller. But I'll bet that more often than not it's the director's idea.
casino has some of the best zooms i've ever seen.
I think that when done right they're great, but they are often misused. I remember being distracted by how terrible one of the zooms in The Graduate is.
Quote from: SoNowThenThat's totally fine. I would love to use those shots.
Are there any great examples of those?
I hope you realize.. thats basically the same fucking thing....
Also I refer to these as the Scorsese Stretch...
for those refering to the freeze frame/optical zoom on the film:
"There is a specific shot from "Casino" in which the police blow away a mobster who turns out to be carrying nothing more dangerous than a sub sandwich. Scorsese freeze-frames and zooms in on the foil-wrapped package the mobster is carrying. In "Boogie Nights," Todd Parker walks in with a new stash of coke, and Anderson uses the same freeze-and-zoom-in technique." -- http://www.ptanderson.com/influences/scorsese.htm
Also, something concerning the "but it did happen" dolly/zoom it also looks like a type of lens comes across the screen almost like a macro lens.. which brings the close image into focus.. is this what is happening? or what
is happening?
I love PTA zooms which Wes Anderson imitates, such as in Magnolia zooming on the TV scrolling credits. Those SLOW, powerful zooms with underlying emotion really work. He makes them art, not an overused toy. There's just so much to them, and they add so much. Like when Wes Anderson zooms on Margot coming of the Green Line/Eli Cash on the TV show in Royal Tenenbaums. Network probably had the best/earliest of the style. Those are my favorites.
Quote from: 82I hope you realize.. thats basically the same fucking thing....
Actually, it's the opposite... that's why I like it.