Herky Jerky camera style

[Blade_Jones]

Is there a NAME for that herky jerky camera style of shooting? You know with the hand held camera and random zooms and what not. They do a lot of this on Counting Cars on History Channel.
Watch from like 1:10 onward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDg6UZJXsu0

 

[Cryogenic]

Is there a NAME for that herky jerky camera style of shooting? You know with the hand held camera and random zooms and what not. They do a lot of this on Counting Cars on History Channel.
Watch from like 1:10 onward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDg6UZJXsu0

Amateur?

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

UZTATHOOP

Spoiler

Uncontrollable zooming that annoys the H#11 out of people

 

[mus]

I'm not sure what the term is, but the purpose of it is to make something boring seem a little dramatic. Like trying to force the audience to feel some emotion.

So, I wouldn't say it's amateur, because they've definitely planned it and thought about it. As for the actual name, I'm not sure there is one, so I'll coin the phrase "Jitter-Zoom"

 

[Metrostar]

I remember when they kept going on about it being really cool when NYPD Blue were doing it. It's so natural and innovative or something along those lines. I watched two episodes and I was out. Made me feel dizzy. We've all gotten used to it now, as it's everywhere these days. I believe it's just called 'Shakycam'.

 

[Blade_Jones]

I remember when they kept going on about it being really cool when NYPD Blue were doing it. It's so natural and innovative or something along those lines. I watched two episodes and I was out. Made me feel dizzy. We've all gotten used to it now, as it's everywhere these days. I believe it's just called 'Shakycam'.

If you're just a casual viewer watching a show like that then you don't get dizzy. But when I tried to sit and analyze what they were doing with the shooting of Counting Cars I did indeed start to get dizzy. I personally like the style. I think it works for that type of show. The guys on that show are rough around the edges so I think it's a fitting camera style.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

Too cool for tripods.

 

[Metrostar]

I think it works for that type of show. The guys on that show are rough around the edges so I think it's a fitting camera style.

Disclaimer: Firstly, I applaud anyone who has a job in TV and film and I wish it was me that was being told to zoom in and out and I would do it until told to stop.

Now that's out of the way, the zooms in the Counting Cars video are just stupid. That's all there is to it for me. It's like when you watch a video someone took at a concert. Instead of just putting the stage in the frame and leaving it or taking video of the massive screen at the back of the stage which doesn't have the musicians faces all whited out, they have to zoom in and out on the tiny people version of the event. Drives me crazy. Stop zooming!

 

[David.rhsc]

Seems fairly random to me. Some of the zooms are clearly intentional (if poorly timed) while others look like the operator trying to find a decent frame without the luxury of cutting the camera (because of the genre) and the editors thought it would look "edgy" or didn't have anything else to use. Possibly the later in some of the more random seeming moments.