Shotty Camera Work

[beware]

Does anyone else kind of have a disdain for shotty camera work on a major studio-produced film? I don't mean the whole found footage type thing, I mean like the camera being semi-shaky without intention? Maybe quick zoom ins or pans that just lag a tad?

Maybe I am being picky but I did notice on more than a handful of movies in my collection generally when the camera is panning up more than normal or doing a side pan its not a perfectly smooth movement, it has a jerk or human element to it...

At one point I thought it was the disc or the player or even the tv but tested the same film out (different copy from a friend in his player), same thing occurred. I mean I went a few days there thinking it was something wrong with my setup. Now its not consistent like throughout a film and its rare to begin with but more than a handful of the blurays I own have something around these lines in at least 1 scene.

Then there are films that do this without incident, so it may be better cameras for higher budgets? Or...

Anyone with me, or am I over thinking things again...

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

1) shoddy, not shotty

2) https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=200468

[cinemaphile]

I don't think he was referring to the "shaky cam" style. I think he meant actual bad camerawork.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by cinemaphile

I don't think he was referring to the "shaky cam" style. I think he meant actual bad camerawork.

[Hawkguy]

I can't think of any major big-$$$ studio films that have this...can you list any examples?

[Petra_Kalbrain]

Even the best of camerawork is "shotty" by nature.

Another fine example of how English is becoming a dying language.

[beadelf]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

Even the best of camerawork is "shotty" by nature.

Another fine example of how English is becoming a dying language.

hahahaha

[beware]

Originally Posted by CoopFilm

I can't think of any major big-$$$ studio films that have this...can you list any examples?

any major battle or action sequence is usually so erratic, its insane but I am even talking about just normal pans, etc not being as smooth as a transition as they should be...they have a hitch or a jump to them.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

Even the best of camerawork is "shotty" by nature.

Another fine example of how English is becoming a dying language.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by beware

any major battle or action sequence is usually so erratic, its insane but I am even talking about just normal pans, etc not being as smooth as a transition as they should be...they have a hitch or a jump to them.

Camera inertia. When a camera is pushed or pulled, the operator has to overcome the physical object's inherent resistance to being moved.

[Lemmy Lugosi]

Maybe he meant shitty?

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Lemmy Lugosi

Maybe he meant shitty?

I think he meant snotty.

[legendarymatt92]

Originally Posted by Lemmy Lugosi

Maybe he meant shitty?

This is what I assumed, too.

[Ben_UK]

Ever seen The Wicker Man?

[pitmosher]

Shitty Shotty tomato tomAto

[Ruan]

I think I know what the OP is on about.... today I received a BD copy of 'A Room With a View' and the first thing I noticed, during the opening scenes was some terrible image movement... I'm not sure if it was the camera operator, or a fault in the film transport, or a crap transfer, but it was very distracting.

I do a little DSLR filming, and find smooth panning a nightmare, even with a good fluid head tripod; and since doing so I have become very aware of both film and TV camera work, and it surprising, even on big budget films, the amount of, non intentional (i.e. shaky cam), movement there is... sloppy pans, spring-back and jolts... once you notice these things, it is quite annoying.

Never see it on a Deakins shoot though

[The Great Owl]

My favorite example of bad camerawork would be from a recent horror film, A Horrible Way to Die, where the image blurs or goes soft sporadically during the movie for no apparent logical reason. The story concept for the movie was actually not half bad, but the movie itself was just outright difficult to watch, because the camera style gave it a forced trying-too-hard-to-be-indie look.

[legendarymatt92]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

My favorite example of bad camerawork would be from a recent horror film, A Horrible Way to Die, where the image blurs or goes soft sporadically during the movie for no apparent logical reason. The story concept for the movie was actually not half bad, but the movie itself was just outright difficult to watch, because the camera style gave it a forced trying-too-hard-to-be-indie look.

This happens a surprising amount with low-budget fare; I was recently watching Remains -- which comes from the Steve Nile graphic novel -- and the camera occasionally went into soft foreground focus on mid to close-up shots for no discernible reason. The outcome was out-of-focus actors delivering lines whilst chairs (or whatever piece of furniture) in the background were crystal clear and the eye-draw of the frame.

I've yet to finish it, surprisingly.

[Jaymole]

I hate movies that are shotty...I like only one or two shots per film which is why Warhol's Empire is my favorite film of all time.

[Kleeberg]

Some westerns feature shotties, but most just use rifles.