Zoom and Dolly: Captivating Audiences Effectively

This Should Never Happen in Corporate Video

The Dark Psychology of the Zoom Lens and Why Dolly Shots Are Superior, Fight Me

Picture this. You’re watching an intense dramatic scene. The character is about to reveal a deep, dark secret—maybe they’re the villain, or maybe they just ate the last donut in the office. Suddenly, the camera zooms in on their face. You feel weird. Uncomfortable. Like the camera itself is creeping on them from across the room like a nosy neighbor with binoculars. Now, imagine the same scene, but instead of a zoom, the camera dollies in smoothly. The tension builds naturally. You’re drawn in, feeling the gravity of the moment instead of feeling like you’re in the audience of a bad 1970s soap opera.

This is why dolly shots reign supreme and zoom lenses are often the villains of visual storytelling. The zoom lens is artificial, flattening, voyeuristic, and jarring, while a dolly shot is immersive, cinematic, and just plain sexy. Let’s break down the negative psychology behind the zoom lens and why, if you love your audience, you should probably avoid it.

The Eyes Don’t Zoom

First, let’s talk about why zoom feels unnatural. The human eye does not zoom. We move forward, we move backward, but we do not magnify objects like a sniper scope. A zoom creates an effect that is inherently mechanical, making the viewer aware of the camera. Film theorist Rudolf Arnheim argued that artificial techniques in film can create psychological detachment. This is why zooms often feel cold and observational rather than immersive. Imagine if, instead of walking closer to someone during an important conversation, you just stared harder at them. That’s what a zoom does. Creepy, right?

Then there’s the flattening effect. Ever notice how zooming in makes the background feel like it’s crashing forward into the subject? That’s because zoom lenses compress depth, making everything seem squished together. Imagine taking a group photo and the people in the background suddenly look like they’re breathing down your neck. That’s the effect zoom can have. Dolly shots, on the other hand, maintain natural depth. When the camera moves through space, the foreground and background shift naturally, making it feel like you’re actually entering the story rather than just magnifying pixels.

Corporate-Yes, Horror-No

If that wasn’t enough, let’s talk about how zooms feel creepy. If you’ve ever watched an old horror movie, you know the classic slow zoom. The camera tightens in on a character who has just heard a spooky noise, and suddenly, the scene feels like a ghost is running the cinematography department. Zooms mimic the sensation of being watched from a distance, like some invisible force is lurking beyond the frame. This is great for horror movies but terrible for emotional dramas where the audience is supposed to feel connected to the characters, not like they’re being monitored by the CIA.

Dolly shots, on the other hand, make moments feel important without feeling invasive. Think about the dramatic push-in used in films like Jaws, where Brody realizes there’s a shark in the water. That moment hits hard because the dolly shot literally pulls us into his realization. Spielberg, Scorsese, and Tarantino love dolly shots because they immerse the viewer in the scene rather than just changing focal length. There’s a reason the dolly push-in is used for high-stakes moments—it makes the audience feel like they’re physically entering the character’s emotional space rather than just observing it from afar.

Corporate-No, Comedy-Yes

We can’t discuss zoom crimes without mentioning the snap zoom. The infamous quick zoom-in, often used in action movies or mockumentaries, makes everything feel frantic and exaggerated. This can be fun in comedies like The Office or in grindhouse-style action films, but use it in a serious scene and suddenly your film feels like an episode of Cops. Unless your character is about to get tackled in a Walmart parking lot, maybe don’t.

Now, let’s consider the emotional impact of a shot. A zoom often feels like an intrusion, like an uninvited guest at a party who gets too close too fast. The dolly, however, moves in a way that mimics genuine curiosity, drawing the audience into the character’s mind rather than just imposing itself on them. A great example is the slow dolly-in on Clarice Starling’s face in The Silence of the Lambs, building a sense of psychological tension without making the audience feel like they’re watching her through a hidden camera.

Another key issue with zooms is the loss of environmental connection. A dolly shot allows the viewer to take in the surroundings, understanding the relationship between characters and their space. In contrast, a zoom isolates the subject unnaturally. Imagine a Western showdown where the camera slowly dollies forward, enhancing the feeling of impending conflict. Now replace that with a zoom. Suddenly, it feels rushed, forced, and lacks the cinematic grandeur that makes those moments iconic.

This isn’t to say zooms should be completely banned. They have their uses. Hitchcock’s Vertigo effect, which combines a dolly-out and a zoom-in, is legendary. Zooms can create unease when needed. But unless you’re deliberately trying to make your audience feel detached, spied on, or like they’re watching a bad corporate training video, the dolly move is almost always the better choice.

Closing

Next time you’re framing up a shot, ask yourself: Do I want my audience to feel engaged, or do I want them to feel like they’re about to get a scam phone call? Choose wisely. Choose Episode 11 Productions in Charlotte, Burlington, and Morganton, NC.