This document summarizes a study on how camera movements can help with narration in animation. It discusses different types of camera movements and how they can be used to emphasize important parts of the plot, direct audience attention, define locations, convey emotional feelings, and assist in storytelling. While there are no strict rules, camera movements can gradually form conventions based on genre, preceding/succeeding shots, and animation techniques like suspension and exaggeration. The relationship between camera work and narration is important for animation directors to consider.

1. Camera Movement in Relation to
Animation Narration:
A study for Deriving Patterns
By : Fatemeh Maleki (Hadis)
Creative Animation Knowledge Conference
Edge Hill University
14th – 18th July 2014

5.  Find the those applications of camera
movement that can help in Narration
 Categorizing them to be useful for directors
 Note: Many factors such as Preceding or
succeeding shots => not looking for strict
rules and formulas.

6.  What is Narration?
 What do we mean by Camera
Movement?
 Why studying the relation?
“Camera Movement in Reaction to Animation Narration “

7.  The fabula (sometimes translated as "story") embodies the
action as a chronological cause-and-effect chain of events
occurring within a given duration and spatial field.
 The syuzhet (usually translated as "plot") is the actual
arrangement and presentation of the fabula in the film.
 Style, names the film's systematic use of cinematic devices.
style is thus wholly ingredient to the medium. Style interact
with syuzhet in various ways; hence the two-ways arrow in
the diagram
•Different theories: Mieke Bal,Bordwell (1985), etc.

8. Camera Definition
Camera Movement Definition :
 moving frames
 Multi-plane effects
 Zoom, pan, tilt, …
 Moving of camera and its vibration
 Even a cut that give a feeling of jumping
So Camera Movement in this theory is a syuzhet.

9. -Different Applications of Camera Movement
"Camera movement can be merely functional when it adjusts the camera
frame to the moving subject, but camera movement can also be a
subjective, interpretive device by the filmmaker to carry and assist the
narrative story" (Beidermühle, 2012: 2)
-Gradually Formed Grammar and Unwritten
rules

10. The previous examples:
 Kung Fu Panda(2008) : Introducing the
characteristics
 Toy Story(1995): Emotional feelings in the
scene
 Horton Hears aWho(2008): location
definition
Other applications . . .

11.  Psychology and different personal spaces:
It is related to the precedeeing and succeeding shots,
no strict rule.

12.  Directing the audience look, framing,
preparing for the next part

13. Defining and emphasizing on important parts
of Suyzhet
 Difference of long shot -> camera show in
detail ,speeding up and slowing down to
emphasize
 Emphasizing on emotional feelings: like
shocking face of in lion king
 Defining on the power of hits
 Defining the texture of road or floating in
wind ...

14.  Help to animate or exaggerate

15. Conscious Absent Mindedness Camera
 When it is hard to technically visualize some events
or actions
 When the animation is in a mystery type and
something should not be revealed
 When it is needed to delay showing something to
make suspension
 When it is needed attract the audiences to listen
more carefully to a sound

16. Genre
 Comedy : Bernstein definition,
Emperors New Groove(2000)
 Surreal
 Jumps in space and time:
“ Cubism in Animation”
 Musical : Beauty and the Beast(1991),
Lion King(1994)
 Documentary: Toy story III (2010), His Mother’s
Voice(1990), number of POV shots
 Style of direction and country of production

17. Animation: suspension and exageration
It can provide information that confirms what
the audiences have guessed.
It can reject what the audiences have guessed
and make a surprise.
It can provide information to connect preceding
and succeeding scenes.

18. Exaggeration:
- Acts
-Size or scale of characters
but cut is more in large differences :The Great
Grape Ape( 1975), Ratatouille(2007)
-Size or scale of location

19. Making Structure
- musical forms
- sewing the parts
TheTriplets of Belleville( 2003)

20. Master Shots / First Scene -> theme of story
 Spirit (2002)
 WALL-E (2008)
 Rio (2011)
 Kung fu Panda (2008)

21. Still camera
Silence in music ( 4’: 33’’)
Excessive use of movement
- relevant
- irrelevant
3D, laziness in animating
irrelevant to story e.g. Not action
The relation is important: old animation ;
Jumping (1984), The Fly (1974)

22. Challenges ofTechnology and Art
- 3D technology
- stereoscopic 3D: Alice inWonderland(2010)
- Dolby system
- Important camera movement a thing director
should consider

23.  You can find the slide at
 Email me please for any comments and
questions:
f.maleki@gmx.com

24.  Bordwell, David, 1985. Narration in the
fiction film.Wisconsin:The University of
Winsconsin Press.
 Beidermühle,Tobias, 2012. Camera
Movement: Historical Overview and
Application in Madly Unto Eternity, MFA.
SavannahCollege of Art and Design.