{
 "slug": "crash-zoom",
 "name": "Crash zoom",
 "category": "move",
 "group": "Zoom and lens",
 "media": [
  "video"
 ],
 "checked": "2026-10-13",
 "effect": "A jolt: sudden emphasis, often comic or dramatic.",
 "use_when": "Reaction shots, mockumentary humour, a reveal that should feel like a punchline.",
 "phrase": "crash zoom onto his face, a snap from medium shot to tight close-up in a fraction of a second",
 "pitfalls": [
  {
   "text": "Crash zooms add chaotic energy; use one per sequence or they cancel each other out.",
   "evidence": "unverified",
   "source": "A 2026 model-syntax study for a prompt builder, summarised in Director Chair field notes on video prompting, not measured by us"
  }
 ],
 "per_model": [],
 "external_refs": [
  {
   "site": "aicameramovements",
   "url": "https://aicameramovements.com/",
   "what": "a looping example clip of this move and a free prompt card (link only)"
  },
  {
   "site": "aicameracontrol",
   "url": "https://aicameracontrol.com/",
   "what": "a free 3D stage to place the person and set the lens before you generate"
  }
 ],
 "licensed": [
  {
   "site": "aicameramovements",
   "name": "Crash zoom in",
   "text": "crash zoom in. Movement: snap the lens rapidly toward the main visual target. Speed: very fast and punchy. Framing: keep the target readable through the sudden scale change. End: land on a bold tighter composition.",
   "credit": "AI Camera Movements (aicameramovements.com)",
   "source_url": "https://aicameramovements.com/previews/hq/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq.mp4",
   "group": "Zoom/Lens",
   "intensity": null,
   "cue": null,
   "shot": "Shot 07A",
   "family": null,
   "aliases": [],
   "media": {
    "video": "/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq.mp4",
    "card": "/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq-card.mp4",
    "poster": "/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq.jpg",
    "card_poster": "/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq-card.jpg",
    "width": 1280,
    "height": 720,
    "duration": 10.08
   }
  },
  {
   "site": "aicameramovements",
   "name": "Crash zoom out",
   "text": "crash zoom out. Movement: snap the lens rapidly away from the main visual target. Speed: very fast and punchy. Framing: keep the target readable as the surrounding space appears. End: land on a bold wider composition.",
   "credit": "AI Camera Movements (aicameramovements.com)",
   "source_url": "https://aicameramovements.com/previews/hq/07b-crash-zoom-out-v2-hq.mp4",
   "group": "Zoom/Lens",
   "intensity": null,
   "cue": null,
   "shot": "Shot 07B",
   "family": null,
   "aliases": [],
   "media": {
    "video": "/media/aicameramovements/07b-crash-zoom-out-v2-hq.mp4",
    "card": "/media/aicameramovements/07b-crash-zoom-out-v2-hq-card.mp4",
    "poster": "/media/aicameramovements/07b-crash-zoom-out-v2-hq.jpg",
    "card_poster": "/media/aicameramovements/07b-crash-zoom-out-v2-hq-card.jpg",
    "width": 1280,
    "height": 720,
    "duration": 10
   }
  }
 ],
 "site_names": [
  "Crash zoom in",
  "Crash zoom out"
 ],
 "related": [
  "fast-zoom",
  "whip-pan"
 ],
 "rights": "own-work",
 "evidence": "film-craft",
 "source": {
  "url": null,
  "note": "Move names and the seven groups from aicameramovements.com (names and structure only); behaviour and numbers in our own words from Director Chair field notes on video prompting and the first Director Chair spec"
 },
 "body": "## Move card\n\n- **Camera:** snaps the lens in or out\n- **Pace:** near instant, punchy\n- **Keep:** the target readable through the jump\n- **Ends:** a bold frame at the new size",
 "shown_with": null,
 "url": "https://directorchair.ai/move/crash-zoom",
 "markdown": "https://directorchair.ai/move/crash-zoom.md",
 "prompts": {
  "seedance-2.5": "Scene: [your subject] in [your setting].\nShot 1 (0:00 to 0:05): one continuous shot\nOptics and camera: Crash zoom onto his face, a snap from medium shot to tight close-up in a fraction of a second. Camera: snaps the lens in or out. Pace: near instant, punchy. Keep: the target readable through the jump. Ends: a bold frame at the new size.\nReference clip (Crash zoom in): https://directorchair.ai/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq.mp4",
  "seedance-2.0": "Scene: [your subject] in [your setting].\nShot 1: one continuous shot\nOptics and camera: Crash zoom onto his face, a snap from medium shot to tight close-up in a fraction of a second. Camera: snaps the lens in or out. Pace: near instant, punchy. Keep: the target readable through the jump. Ends: a bold frame at the new size.\nReference clip (Crash zoom in): https://directorchair.ai/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq.mp4",
  "kling-3": "[your subject]. The scene is [your setting]. Crash zoom onto his face, a snap from medium shot to tight close-up in a fraction of a second. Camera: snaps the lens in or out. Pace: near instant, punchy. Keep: the target readable through the jump. Ends: a bold frame at the new size.\nReference clip (Crash zoom in): https://directorchair.ai/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq.mp4",
  "veo-3.1": "Crash zoom onto his face, a snap from medium shot to tight close-up in a fraction of a second. Camera: snaps the lens in or out. Pace: near instant, punchy. Keep: the target readable through the jump. Ends: a bold frame at the new size. [your subject] in [your setting]. Framing and subject stay as in the start image.\nReference clip (Crash zoom in): https://directorchair.ai/media/aicameramovements/07a-crash-zoom-in-v2-hq.mp4"
 },
 "licence": {
  "code": "MIT",
  "text": "CC BY 4.0",
  "third_party": "Clips and card texts inside a \"licensed\" block belong to their makers and are shown with permission and credit."
 }
}