The Filmmaker's Eye

crane shot

In a crane shot, the camera is mounted on a support that can be an actual crane, a jib arm, a cherry picker, or any other device that will allow the camera to be moved vertically, horizontally, or in a combination of both. The typical crane shot, however, emphasizes a vertical move of the camera that can encompass anywhere from just a few feet all the way up to more than one hundred feet in height. Although there are many variations, crane shots are most commonly used to gradually reveal the grand scale of a location or environment as the camera is moved upward, including more details as the camera’s vantage point gets higher. This type of crane shot can work essentially as an establishing shot, edited at the beginning of a scene or ...