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Dictionary by pitch.dog
Zooms & perspective changes · Specialist

Dolly zoom

Also called: Vertigo effect

ELI5

A combined camera move and opposite zoom that changes background perspective while subject size stays roughly constant.

Used in conversation

“Let’s test the dolly zoom before we lock the camera and lighting setup.”

Pitch context

This term helps a treatment describe how the camera or light will shape the viewer's experience.

Why it matters: Explains what the image should look like and how it can be framed, captured and lit.

Connected terms

  • ZoomA zoom changes focal length; a dolly zoom combines focal-length change with opposite camera movement to distort perspective.
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Sources & evidence · 7

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.