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Dolly Zoom: Meaning & Definition in Film

Simultaneous dolly movement and counter-zoom distort depth, evoking vertigo and revelation.

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Dolly Zoom: Mechanics

The camera dollies toward the subject while zooming out (or vice versa), keeping subject size constant while background scales. Requires precise focus pulling and focal-length math to avoid breathing.

Dolly Zoom: Iconic Moments

  • Vertigo (1958) stairwell.
  • Jaws (1975) beach realization.
  • Lord of the Rings: Fellowship (2001) Ringwraith forest.

Dolly Zoom: Psychological Effect

The resulting parallax warp simulates tunnel vision, amplifying anxiety or epiphany.

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Entries filed on the same shelf as Dolly Zoom, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

All 330 terms
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    An edit that links two disparate shots through visual, audio, or thematic similarity for seamless transition.

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    Early 1990s movement of bold, transgressive LGBTQ+ films that rejected assimilationist storytelling.