Would you like to provide a deeper meaning to your cinematic shots? A dolly zoom is one of the most fascinating techniques used in film to convey various emotions. The technique is also widely used in popular films and has even made its way into animation.

Let’s discuss what a dolly zoom is, how you can use it in your filmmaking, and when to use it to make your shots breathtaking.

What Is a Dolly Zoom?

A dolly zoom is a cinematography technique first introduced by director Alfred Hitchcock in the 1958 movie Vertigo. He used the effect to stretch out staircases when the character affected by vertigo looked down. It helped the audience understand what the character might be feeling.

Imagine you are in an empty room looking out of a window. The closer you are to the window, the more your vision is filled with the outside world. Similarly, if you are standing away from the window, you can only see a limited part of the outside world.

Now, if you zoom in while standing away from the window, your camera can only capture what you can see. However, moving toward the window while holding the camera will increase the landscape area you are capturing. This movement is called a dolly-in, i.e., you are moving toward the subject.

Usually, cinematographers use tracks for smooth dolly in or out movements. The cinematographer sits on a cart with a camera and is moved towards or away from the subject. Combining the zooming and dolly movement creates the dolly zoom or vertigo filming technique.

Examples of the Dolly Zoom

Here are some popular movie shots that brilliantly use the dolly zoom.

Vertigo (1958): The dolly zoom was pioneered in this shot. You can see it in action when the character looks down while climbing the stairs. The effect shows the uneasiness of the character.

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): In this shot, the director uses a dolly zoom to show danger from the forest. The camera dollys out while zooming in, which creates an illusion of the forest opening up.

Squid Game (2021): You can see in this shot that when the character realizes he is in big trouble, the director shows it using a dolly zoom. It brilliantly conveys what the character might be going through, and it also creates a bit of humor.

The Lion King (1994): When Simba sees a herd coming at him, he is panicked. The director used a dolly zoom shot in animation to convey the feeling. You can see this particular shot is at high speed, which is better for conveying the panic of the character.

How to Make a Dolly Zoom Shot

Creating a dolly zoom is quite simple if you have the proper equipment. You will need a camera with a high range of focal lengths. The focal length of your camera decides how much landscape or background you can cover.

For instance, a wide-angle lens with a focal length of 35mm or less can capture more than 45 degrees on each side of your camera lens. In contrast, a telephoto lens with a 300mm focal length can capture around 5 degrees on each side of your camera. For comparison, a human eye has a vision of 90 degrees on each side from the center, also known as peripheral vision.

You will also need a device to keep your camera steady while closing in or out on the subject. You can get a dolly track if you have the budget. Otherwise, a shoulder rig or gimbal should be fine. As long as there is minimal to no shake while you create the dolly effect. Here's what to consider when buying a gimbal.

shoulder rig

Lastly, you will need some practice to zoom perfectly while making the dolly movement. Practice zooming out when you are moving toward the subject and zooming in while you are moving away from the subject. Once you are familiar with the speed at which you want the zoom and dolly to take place, you are ready to make the perfect vertigo shot.

You can create the vertigo effect in post-processing as well. It wouldn’t be as good as what we see in the movies, but it will be good enough to show your skills and convey emotions.

All you need is a phone capable of recording in 4K. This is necessary since you will need to crop your frame for stabilization, and a 4K video will give you more pixels to work with. These phones have the best cameras. Keep your subject in the center of your vision and make the dolly in or out movement. Make sure you have left enough space above and below the subject.

Now, all you have to do is add the zoom-in or zoom-out movement using video editing software. Also, use a video stabilizing function to eliminate unwanted shakes. If you are still determining which app to use, see our roundup of the best free video editing software.

When and Where to Use a Dolly Zoom

Once you understand how to make a dolly zoom, it is essential to know when and where to use the dolly zoom technique. Some of the most common uses are to show panic, thrill, stress, anxiety, and so on. So, whenever you want to convey these emotions, use a dolly zoom.

If you want to show stress, keep the zooming and dollying speed low. However, to show panic, you should make the shot fast, as shown in The Lion King video.

If you are focusing on the character, i.e., the character is at the center of the frame, the dolly zoom helps the viewer understand what is going on in the character’s mind. However, if the character is defocused and the background is in focus, it conveys whether the character is getting closer or farther from whatever is in the background metaphorically.

Below is an example from the movie Quiz Show (1994). The shot shows how the character finds himself isolated from the rest of the audience​​​​​.

A similar but metaphorically opposite shot is seen in the movie Ratatouille (2007). It shows the character getting closer to the guy on TV and being inspired by him.

Use the Dolly Zoom in Your Next Film Project

The dolly zoom is one of the most fascinating, complex-to-convey, yet simple-to-create cinematography techniques. With the proper equipment and knowledge of the shot, anyone can create the vertigo effect with minimal effort. You can use it to convey various emotions and make your video look more appealing while showing your skills.