“If your story hinges on what the viewer notices first—and then what they notice next—go Rack Focus.”
A sharp shift in focus from one subject or plane (foreground/background) to another during the same shot. It guides the viewer’s attention by changing what is in focus without cutting.
Rack Focus is when the focus changes mid-shot from one object or subject to another—usually from background to foreground or vice versa. It's often used to reveal something important or shift emotional emphasis without moving the camera. In AI prompts, this manifests as a scene where one subject is in sharp focus while the rest is softly blurred, then transitions to reverse the blur.
🎥 Famous Examples:
"There Will Be Blood" – focus shift between Plainview and H.W.
"The Graduate" – Mrs. Robinson becomes the focus mid-scene
Subject & Background Behaviour
Subject: Stays in place; focus shifts to or from them
Background: Also static, but comes into or out of focus
Don’t-Confuse-With
Depth of Field: Rack Focus uses shallow depth of field, but DoF is static unless manipulated.
Dolly Zoom: Both manipulate viewer attention, but Dolly Zoom involves camera movement and subject scaling.
Tilt Shift / Miniature Effect: Uses optical blur too, but not for narrative attention shifts.
| Effect Type | optical |
|---|---|
| Related Effects | |
| Used in Contexts | suspense, emotional, reveal |
| Effect Styles | realistic, cinematic, neutral |
Cheating couple caught in cafe
A couple sits at a small white iron table outside café. They hold hands and look at each other. The shot stays steady at 24fps with a light film-like grain. It starts focused on the couple, then shifts to the back. A man with a suitcase walks into view. His face shows shock. That changes the mood f...
