Author: Maisy Armstrong, Student Technology Consultant

Late at night, there is nothing I love more than filling up my film journal. If I find a movie that stands out to me, I’ll sketch out the characters, mix paints to create the color palette, and note actors, shots, awards, and more. This past week, I opened up my moleskin and came across a small section of notes surrounding the Dolly Zoom. Dolly Zoom shots have appeared in some of my favorite films such as Jaws and E.T. the Extraterrestrial (though are used far beyond just Spielberg movies).

    The Dolly Zoom first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (and consequently is also known as a “Hitchcock shot”). The shot was effectively disorienting and has become a staple in modern films. It is most commonly employed when a director aims to create a sensation of vertigo or enhance a character’s feeling of realization. 

    The shot functions by creating an optical illusion. The camera dollies (moves) away from the subject while a lens is used to simultaneously zoom in. Conversely, it can be produced by dollying the camera towards the subject while zooming out. This method keeps the subject at the same size in the frame throughout the shot while creating an unsettling perspective effect. 

    Though used on professional filmmaking sets, this type of shot is highly accessible to any person with a zoom lens and a camera, or even just an iphone. Go ahead and try it! Place an object on a table in front of you (while testing this technique for the first time, I used a water bottle). Open your camera app and hold your phone so that the entirety of the object is in frame. Begin recording. As you record, slowly move your phone away from the subject and, at the same speed, zoom in. This may take some practice, but eventually you can produce a distorted in-camera effect similar to what you see on the big screen! 

Check out the Dolly Zoom effect at 0:20 in this clip from Jaws (1975)!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IqRhuz72EE