In-camera and optical effects

Fifty-seven effects a camera can make on its own, and how to ask.

These effects happen in front of the lens or inside it, rather than on a timeline. A model builds them into the shot, which is why naming one is usually steadier than adding it afterwards.

Focus as an effect

6

What is sharp, what is not, and when that changes inside the shot.

Deep Focus: Near and far are both sharp at the same time.

Near and far are both sharp at the same time.

Shallow Focus: Only a thin slice of the scene is sharp.

Only a thin slice of the scene is sharp.

Rack Focus: Focus pulls decisively from one subject to another.

Focus pulls decisively from one subject to another.

Focal Shift: The focus moves from one plane to another inside the shot.

The focus moves from one plane to another inside the shot.

Focus Change: Focus moves to redirect attention mid-shot.

Focus moves to redirect attention mid-shot.

Bokeh: Out-of-focus points of light become soft round shapes.

Out-of-focus points of light become soft round shapes.

What light does to the glass

8

Flares, glow and grain. The artefacts a real lens and real stock leave behind, which is most of what reads as photographed.

Lens Flare: A bright light hits the glass and throws artefacts across the frame.

A bright light hits the glass and throws artefacts across the frame.

Anamorphic Flare: A bright source throws a long horizontal streak across the frame.

Anamorphic Flare

A bright source throws a long horizontal streak across the frame.

Halation: Bright areas bleed a soft glow into what surrounds them.

Bright areas bleed a soft glow into what surrounds them.

Light Leak: Light gets into the camera body and streaks across the film.

Light gets into the camera body and streaks across the film.

Light Flash: A sudden burst of light overwhelms the frame.

A sudden burst of light overwhelms the frame.

Chromatic Aberration: Colour channels separate toward the edges of the frame.

Chromatic Aberration

Colour channels separate toward the edges of the frame.

Vignette: The frame darkens toward its corners.

The frame darkens toward its corners.

Film Grain: The image carries the moving texture of film stock.

The image carries the moving texture of film stock.

Seeing what the eye cannot

7

Sensors and processes that record something the eye never sees, and render it as an image.

Infrared: The image records light the eye cannot see, so foliage goes white.

The image records light the eye cannot see, so foliage goes white.

Thermal: A heat camera maps temperature to colour.

A heat camera maps temperature to colour.

Night Vision: A low-light sensor renders everything green and grainy.

A low-light sensor renders everything green and grainy.

X-Ray: The image sees through the surface to the structure beneath.

The image sees through the surface to the structure beneath.

Slit-Scan: Time is smeared into space, so movement becomes streaks of light.

Time is smeared into space, so movement becomes streaks of light.

Photogrammetry: The scene looks scanned and rebuilt, with holes where data was missing.

The scene looks scanned and rebuilt, with holes where data was missing.

Wigglegram: Two slightly offset views alternate, so the image appears to have depth.

Two slightly offset views alternate, so the image appears to have depth.

Two images in one frame

11

The frame holds more than one picture, by exposure, by mirror, by screen or by projection.

Double Exposure: Two images occupy the same frame and show through each other.

Double Exposure

Two images occupy the same frame and show through each other.

Duplication: The same person appears more than once in one frame.

The same person appears more than once in one frame.

Selfie Twin: A phone screen shows a second version of the person holding it.

A phone screen shows a second version of the person holding it.

Feedback: A screen shows the scene it sits in, repeating into itself.

A screen shows the scene it sits in, repeating into itself.

Kaleidoscope: The frame mirrors and repeats into a symmetrical pattern.

The frame mirrors and repeats into a symmetrical pattern.

Echo Print: Moving figures leave repeated trailing copies behind them.

Moving figures leave repeated trailing copies behind them.

Mixed Media: Photographic footage sits alongside drawn, printed or physical material.

Photographic footage sits alongside drawn, printed or physical material.

Collage: Cut paper, photographs and scraps are layered over the image.

Cut paper, photographs and scraps are layered over the image.

Projections: A projected image lands on a real surface and wraps its shape.

A projected image lands on a real surface and wraps its shape.

Masking: A shaped matte blocks most of the frame and leaves an opening.

A shaped matte blocks most of the frame and leaves an opening.

Shadow Box: A figure is framed inside a lit opening against darkness.

A figure is framed inside a lit opening against darkness.

One thing becomes another

9

Change inside the shot, from one form or one material into another.

Morphing: One form flows into a completely different form.

One form flows into a completely different form.

Morph: One face or form becomes another with no cut.

One face or form becomes another with no cut.

Transformation: A subject changes into another material or state.

A subject changes into another material or state.

Generative: The subject forms out of particles or procedural structure.

The subject forms out of particles or procedural structure.

Anthropo: An inanimate object behaves as if it were alive.

An inanimate object behaves as if it were alive.

Cinemagraph: The frame is a still except for one element that keeps moving.

The frame is a still except for one element that keeps moving.

Datamosh: Compression breaks down and the frames smear into each other.

Compression breaks down and the frames smear into each other.

Sticker Peel: The image lifts at a corner like a sticker, showing another beneath.

The image lifts at a corner like a sticker, showing another beneath.

Zoetrope: Repeated figures in sequence make a single movement when they pass.

Repeated figures in sequence make a single movement when they pass.

Floating and falling

6

Gravity comes off. Things hang, drift or fall through the frame.

Levitation: A figure hangs in the air with nothing holding them.

A figure hangs in the air with nothing holding them.

Floating Fall: A body drifts and turns in dark space with no ground.

A body drifts and turns in dark space with no ground.

Particles: Small glowing points drift through the air around the subject.

Small glowing points drift through the air around the subject.

Bubbles: Soap bubbles drift through the frame and catch the light.

Soap bubbles drift through the frame and catch the light.

Floating UI: Interface panels hang in the air around the subject.

Interface panels hang in the air around the subject.

Typography: Words exist as objects inside the scene.

Words exist as objects inside the scene.

Space that does not behave

10

Scale, ratio and geometry stop being fixed.

Distortions: The geometry of the space bends away from what a lens would do.

The geometry of the space bends away from what a lens would do.

Forced Perspective: Distance is used to make one thing look far larger or smaller than it is.

Forced Perspective

Distance is used to make one thing look far larger or smaller than it is.

Scale Shift: The subject's size relative to the space changes.

The subject's size relative to the space changes.

Diorama: The scene reads as a handmade miniature.

The scene reads as a handmade miniature.

Ratio Switch: The aspect ratio changes during the film.

The aspect ratio changes during the film.

Object Portal: An ordinary object contains a view into somewhere else.

An ordinary object contains a view into somewhere else.

Altered State: The image bends to show that perception itself is off.

The image bends to show that perception itself is off.

Smash and Grab: A sudden violent intrusion arrives in an otherwise calm frame.

A sudden violent intrusion arrives in an otherwise calm frame.

Argus: Many eyes cover the subject or the frame around it.

Many eyes cover the subject or the frame around it.

Cyclope: A single enormous eye dominates, often with a scene inside it.

A single enormous eye dominates, often with a scene inside it.

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Other techniques

Shot typesTwenty-five ways to frame a shot, and the wording that gets each one.25 shot types Camera anglesNineteen places to put the camera, and the wording that gets each one.19 camera angles Camera movementEighty-six ways to move the camera, and the wording that gets each one.86 camera moves CompositionThirty-two ways to arrange a frame, and the wording that gets each one.32 composition rules LightingForty-one lighting setups, and the wording that gets each one.41 lighting setups Lenses and opticsSeventeen lenses, and the wording that gets the look of each one.17 lenses Colour and film lookNineteen colour looks, and the wording that gets each one.19 colour looks Time and motionTwenty-one ways to bend time in a shot, and the wording for each one.21 time effects Cuts and transitionsTwenty-three ways to get from one shot to the next.23 transitions Atmosphere and weatherThirteen ways to fill the air, and the wording that gets each one.13 atmosphere effects Genre looksTwenty-seven genres, and the wording that gets the look of each one.27 genre looks Viral looksForty-four looks that travel on short-form video, and how to ask.44 viral looks

The shape an out-of-focus point of light takes. A wide aperture and a long lens turn every background highlight into a soft disc, and the shape comes from the blades inside the lens.