Push-In (Dolly in)
If your subject must grow larger naturally in frame, go Dolly In.
A Dolly In moves the entire camera physically closer to the subject on a straight track or smooth path. The subject gets bigger in frame, and background elements also shift perspective slightly, creating a feeling of approach, intimacy, or tension.
Examples: Used in nearly every genre. Think of the camera slowly pushing in on someone as they realize something dramatic—e.g., Breaking Bad’s Walter White epiphanies.
Don’t-Confuse-With:
Zoom In: Camera stays still, only lens zooms—no parallax or spatial feel.
Dolly Zoom: The combo that tricks the eye by doing both.
| Movement Type | translation |
|---|---|
| Axis/Direction | forward |
| Related Movements | dolly shot zoom in |
| Used in Contexts | dialogue, reveal, suspense, emotional, dreamlike, narrative emphasis, montage, stylized sequence |
| Motion Styles | intimate |
Push-In Prompt Examples
Eye in revealing tiny birds
Quickly push in on the woman's face while she blinks as clouds move behind her. Dolly zoom in into one of her eyes, showing the intricate design of her blue iris with black pupil in the center. Surreal macro shot of the iris and pupil becomes animated as tiny black birds emerge from the black pupil and continue flying around in the iris flapping their wings. Artistic, fashion, surreal, dynamic
image-to-video