{
 "slug": "dolly-zoom",
 "name": "Dolly zoom (vertigo)",
 "category": "move",
 "group": "Zoom and lens",
 "media": [
  "video"
 ],
 "checked": "2026-10-13",
 "effect": "The background stretches or shrinks around a subject who stays the same size: dread, shock, a world tilting.",
 "use_when": "A moment of realisation or panic.",
 "phrase": "dolly zoom: the camera moves toward her while the lens zooms out, she stays the same size and the background behind her stretches away",
 "pitfalls": [
  {
   "text": "Models get this wrong when it is only named. Describe both halves and the visible result: the background warps, the subject stays the same size.",
   "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_names": [],
 "related": [
  "dolly-in",
  "slow-zoom-out"
 ],
 "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:** travels toward the subject while the lens widens, or the reverse\n- **Pace:** slow and continuous\n- **Keep:** the subject the same size the whole time\n- **Ends:** the background visibly stretched or squeezed",
 "shown_with": {
  "slug": "dolly-in",
  "name": "Dolly in (push in)",
  "category": "move",
  "label": "Shown with: Dolly in (push in)",
  "site": "aicameramovements",
  "credit": "AI Camera Movements (aicameramovements.com)",
  "source_url": "https://aicameramovements.com/previews/hq/08-dolly-in-hq.mp4",
  "media": {
   "video": "/media/aicameramovements/08-dolly-in-hq.mp4",
   "card": "/media/aicameramovements/08-dolly-in-hq-card.mp4",
   "poster": "/media/aicameramovements/08-dolly-in-hq.jpg",
   "card_poster": "/media/aicameramovements/08-dolly-in-hq-card.jpg",
   "width": 1280,
   "height": 720,
   "duration": 15
  }
 },
 "url": "https://directorchair.ai/move/dolly-zoom",
 "markdown": "https://directorchair.ai/move/dolly-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: Dolly zoom: the camera moves toward the subject while the lens zooms out, the subject stays the same size and the background behind the subject stretches away. Camera: travels toward the subject while the lens widens, or the reverse. Pace: slow and continuous. Keep: the subject the same size the whole time. Ends: the background visibly stretched or squeezed.",
  "seedance-2.0": "Scene: [your subject] in [your setting].\nShot 1: one continuous shot\nOptics and camera: Dolly zoom: the camera moves toward the subject while the lens zooms out, the subject stays the same size and the background behind the subject stretches away. Camera: travels toward the subject while the lens widens, or the reverse. Pace: slow and continuous. Keep: the subject the same size the whole time. Ends: the background visibly stretched or squeezed.",
  "kling-3": "[your subject]. The scene is [your setting]. Dolly zoom: the camera moves toward the subject while the lens zooms out, the subject stays the same size and the background behind the subject stretches away. Camera: travels toward the subject while the lens widens, or the reverse. Pace: slow and continuous. Keep: the subject the same size the whole time. Ends: the background visibly stretched or squeezed.",
  "veo-3.1": "Dolly zoom: the camera moves toward the subject while the lens zooms out, the subject stays the same size and the background behind the subject stretches away. Camera: travels toward the subject while the lens widens, or the reverse. Pace: slow and continuous. Keep: the subject the same size the whole time. Ends: the background visibly stretched or squeezed. [your subject] in [your setting]. Framing and subject stay as in the start image."
 },
 "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."
 }
}