Cinematography Techniques A–Z
Every technique in the library, 303 in 14 disciplines, in one list. Each links to its definition, example clips and a copy-ready AI video prompt.
#
- 2000s Paparazzi Look · Viral Looks
- 2D Animation Look · Genre Looks
- 360-Degree Orbit (Arc Shot) · Camera Movement
- 3D Render Look · Viral Looks
- 50mm Normal Lens · Lenses
A
- Acid Print Look · Viral Looks
- Aerial Shot (Drone Shot) · Camera Movement
- Agamemnon Portrait Look · Viral Looks
- Altered State · Optical Effects
- Anamorphic Lens · Lenses
- Anthropomorphic Objects · Optical Effects
- Aperture Masking · Optical Effects
- Architexture · Composition
- Argus Multi-Eye Effect · Optical Effects
- Arthouse Film Look · Genre Looks
- Aspect Ratio Switch · Optical Effects
- Asymmetrical Composition · Composition
- Atmospheric Haze · Atmosphere
- Available Light (Natural Lighting) · Lighting
- Axial Cut · Editing
B
- Backlight · Lighting
- Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) Look · Genre Looks
- Bird's-Eye View (Overhead Shot) · Camera Angle
- Bleach Bypass · Color
- Blockbuster Look · Genre Looks
- Blue Depth Look · Viral Looks
- Blue Hour · Lighting
- Bokeh · Focus & Depth
- Boomerang Effect · Time & Tempo
- Bounce Light · Lighting
- Breaking the Fourth Wall · Camera Angle
- Broad and Short Lighting · Lighting
- Broken Mirror · Viral Looks
- Bullet Time · Time & Tempo
C
- Camera Roll · Camera Movement
- Canvas (Painterly Look) · Viral Looks
- Casual Monster Slayer · Viral Looks
- Centered Composition · Composition
- Chiaroscuro Lighting · Lighting
- Choreographed Camera · Camera Movement
- Chromatic Aberration · Optical Effects
- Cinéma Vérité · Genre Looks
- Cinemagraph · Optical Effects
- Clean Frame · Composition
- Close-Up & Shot Sizes · Framing
- Cold Sci-Fi Look · Genre Looks
- Cold Vision Look · Viral Looks
- Color Grading · Color
- Color Palette · Color
- Color Shift · Color
- Cool and Warm Color Tones · Color
- Cosmic Horror Look · Genre Looks
- Crane Shot (Jib / Boom) · Camera Movement
- Cross Lighting · Lighting
- Cross Processing · Color
- Cross-Cutting (Parallel Editing) · Editing
- Cutaway Shot · Framing
- Cutout Collage · Optical Effects
- Cyclope · Optical Effects
D
- Datamosh · Optical Effects
- Day for Night · Color
- Deep Focus (Deep Depth of Field) · Focus & Depth
- Desaturation · Color
- Diagonal Composition · Composition
- Diorama (Miniature Effect) · Optical Effects
- Dirty Frame · Composition
- Dissolve (Cross-Dissolve) · Editing
- Documentary Look · Genre Looks
- Dolly Shot (Push In) · Camera Movement
- Dolly Zoom (Vertigo Effect) · Camera Movement
- Dolphin Ride · Viral Looks
- Double Dolly Shot · Camera Movement
- Double Exposure · Optical Effects
- Duplication Effect · Optical Effects
- Dust Motes · Atmosphere
- Dust Storm · Atmosphere
- Dusty Western Look · Genre Looks
- Dutch Angle (Canted Angle) · Camera Angle
- Dystopian Look · Genre Looks
E
- Earth Zoom · Camera Movement
- Echo Print · Optical Effects
- Epiphany Light Cue · Lighting
- Establishing Shot · Framing
- Expressive Gesture Shot · Framing
- Eye Light (Catchlight) · Lighting
- Eye-Level Shot · Camera Angle
- Eyes In · Camera Movement
F
- Fade In / Fade Out · Editing
- Faded Film Look · Color
- Fairytale Castle · Viral Looks
- Fallen Angel · Viral Looks
- Falling Camera Shot · Camera Movement
- Fast Motion · Time & Tempo
- Featureless Void · Composition
- Figure-Ground Composition · Composition
- Fill Light · Lighting
- Film Grain · Optical Effects
- Film Noir · Genre Looks
- Fisheye Lens · Lenses
- Flash Cut · Editing
- Floating Fall · Optical Effects
- Floating UI · Optical Effects
- Focus-Pull Dolly · Camera Movement
- Fog & Haze · Atmosphere
- Fog and Mist · Atmosphere
- Forced Perspective · Optical Effects
- Foreground Interest · Composition
- Found Footage Look · Genre Looks
- FPV Drone Shot · Camera Movement
- Fragmented Editing · Editing
- Frame Within a Frame · Composition
- Freeze Frame · Time & Tempo
- Frozen in Motion · Time & Tempo
G
- Generative Growth · Optical Effects
- Giallo Look · Genre Looks
- Gimbal Shot · Camera Movement
- Glamour Lighting · Lighting
- Gobo Lighting · Lighting
- Golden Hour · Lighting
- Golden Ratio · Composition
- Ground-Level Shot · Camera Angle
H
- Halation · Optical Effects
- Halftone Comic Look · Viral Looks
- Hand Paint · Viral Looks
- Handheld Shot · Camera Movement
- Hard Light vs Soft Light · Lighting
- Head Tracking · Camera Movement
- Headroom · Composition
- High-Angle Shot · Camera Angle
- High-Key Lighting · Lighting
- Hip-Level Shot · Camera Angle
- Horror Dread · Genre Looks
- Hyperlapse · Camera Movement
I
- Infrared Look · Optical Effects
- Ink Riot · Viral Looks
- Insert Shot (Cut-In) · Framing
- Interview Shot (Off-Lens) · Framing
- Invisible Cut · Editing
- Iris Transition (Iris In / Out) · Editing
J
- J-Cut and L-Cut · Editing
- Jump Cut · Editing
K
- Kaleidoscope Effect · Optical Effects
- Key Light · Lighting
- Knight's Diary · Viral Looks
L
- Lava Look · Viral Looks
- Layered Depth · Composition
- Lazy Susan Shot (Turntable) · Camera Movement
- Lead Room (Look Space) · Composition
- Leading Lines · Composition
- Lens Distortion · Optical Effects
- Lens Flare · Optical Effects
- Levitation Effect · Optical Effects
- Light Flash · Optical Effects
- Light Leaks · Optical Effects
- Living Marble Look · Viral Looks
- Long Take (Oner) · Time & Tempo
- Loop, Butterfly & Rembrandt Lighting · Lighting
- Low-Angle Shot (Worm's-Eye View) · Camera Angle
- Low-Key Lighting · Lighting
M
- Macro Lens · Lenses
- Magazine Editorial Look · Viral Looks
- Magical Realism · Genre Looks
- Master Shot · Framing
- Match Cut · Editing
- Match on Action · Editing
- Matte Shot · Optical Effects
- Maximalist Look · Genre Looks
- Mighty Fighter · Viral Looks
- Mixed Media · Optical Effects
- Modern Minimal Look · Viral Looks
- Monochrome and Sepia · Color
- Montage · Editing
- Moonlight Gel · Color
- Moonwalk Effect · Time & Tempo
- Morphing Effect · Optical Effects
- Motion Blur · Time & Tempo
- Motivated Lighting · Lighting
- Mounted Camera Shot (Car Mount) · Camera Movement
- Mouth In · Camera Movement
- Multiverse Triptych · Viral Looks
N
- Negative Space · Composition
- Neon Night · Atmosphere
- Night Vision · Optical Effects
O
- Object Portal · Optical Effects
- Ocean Swell · Atmosphere
- Omnidirectional 360 Shot · Camera Movement
- One-Point Perspective · Composition
- Orbital Presence · Viral Looks
- Origami World · Viral Looks
- Over-the-Shoulder Shot (OTS) · Camera Angle
- Overexposed Look · Color
P
- Pan Shot (Whip Pan) · Camera Movement
- Pass Through · Camera Movement
- Pearl Earring · Viral Looks
- Pedestal Shot · Camera Movement
- Photogrammetry · Optical Effects
- Pigeon Flock Takeoff · Viral Looks
- Pixel Art Look · Genre Looks
- POV Shot (Point of View) · Camera Angle
- Practical Lighting · Lighting
- Probe Lens · Lenses
- Product Shot · Framing
- Profile Shot · Camera Angle
- Projection Mapping · Optical Effects
Q
- Quick Cuts · Editing
R
- Race Track · Viral Looks
- Rack Focus (Focus Pull) · Focus & Depth
- Rain Effect · Atmosphere
- Random Glow · Viral Looks
- Reaction Shot · Framing
- Reflection Shot · Composition
- Repetition and Pattern · Composition
- Reverse Angle Shot (Shot/Reverse Shot) · Camera Angle
- Reverse Motion · Time & Tempo
- Rim Light (Hair Light) · Lighting
- Robo Arm (Motion Control) · Camera Movement
- Romantic Glow · Genre Looks
- Rule of Thirds · Composition
S
- Scale Shift · Optical Effects
- Screen in Screen · Composition
- Seamless Loop (Infinite Loop) · Time & Tempo
- Set Transition · Editing
- Shadow Box · Optical Effects
- Shallow Focus (Shallow Depth of Field) · Focus & Depth
- Shallow Space · Composition
- Shoulder-Level Shot · Camera Angle
- Side Lighting (Split Lighting) · Lighting
- Silhouette Shot · Lighting
- Single, Two-Shot & Group Shot · Framing
- Skatedog · Viral Looks
- Slider Reveal · Camera Movement
- Slider Shot · Camera Movement
- Slit-Scan · Optical Effects
- Slow Motion · Time & Tempo
- Small Shutter Angle · Time & Tempo
- Smash and Grab · Optical Effects
- Smash Cut · Editing
- Smoke Effect · Atmosphere
- SnorriCam Shot · Camera Movement
- Snow Effect · Atmosphere
- Soap Bubbles · Optical Effects
- Southern Gothic · Genre Looks
- Spaghetti Western · Genre Looks
- Sparks and Embers · Atmosphere
- Spatial Typography · Optical Effects
- Speed Ramp · Time & Tempo
- Spherical Lens · Lenses
- Split Diopter · Focus & Depth
- Split Screen · Optical Effects
- Split Toning · Color
- Spotlight · Lighting
- Static Shot (Locked-Off) · Camera Movement
- Steadicam Shot · Camera Movement
- Steam Effect · Atmosphere
- Step Printing · Time & Tempo
- Sticker Peel · Optical Effects
- Stop Motion · Time & Tempo
- Stylistic Suck · Genre Looks
- Symmetrical Composition · Composition
T
- Tableau Shot · Composition
- Teal and Orange Look · Color
- Telephoto Compression · Lenses
- Telephoto Lens · Lenses
- Thermal Camera Look · Optical Effects
- Three-Point Lighting · Lighting
- Three-Quarter Angle · Camera Angle
- Through Object In · Camera Movement
- Tilt Shot · Camera Movement
- Tilt-Shift Lens · Lenses
- Time-Lapse · Time & Tempo
- Timelapse Human · Time & Tempo
- Tonal Contrast · Composition
- Top Light · Lighting
- Toxic Air Look · Viral Looks
- Tracking Shot (Follow Shot) · Camera Movement
- Transformation Effect · Optical Effects
- Triangular Composition · Composition
- Truck Shot (Trucking) · Camera Movement
- Trunk Shot · Camera Angle
- Tungsten Balance · Color
- Two-Color Duotone · Viral Looks
U
- Ultraviolet Black-Light Look · Viral Looks
- Underwater Shot · Atmosphere
V
- Video Feedback · Optical Effects
- Video Game Look · Genre Looks
- Video Portraits · Framing
- Vignette · Optical Effects
- Vintage Cine Glass · Lenses
- Visual Weight · Composition
- Volumetric Lighting · Lighting
W
- Walk and Talk Shot · Camera Movement
- Wandering Camera · Camera Movement
- Weirdcore · Genre Looks
- Wet-Down · Atmosphere
- Wide-Angle Lens · Lenses
- Wiggle Camera Move · Camera Movement
- Wigglegram · Optical Effects
- Window Light · Lighting
- Wipe Transition · Editing
X
- X-Ray Effect · Optical Effects
Z
- Zoetrope Effect · Optical Effects
- Zoom Burst · Camera Movement
- Zoom Shot (Crash Zoom) · Camera Movement