Glossary · Camera & motion
Dolly shot
A dolly shot moves the whole camera toward or away from a subject, so the view changes the way it would if you walked closer or stepped back.
Why it matters
It is one of the clearest ways to tell a viewer that a moment matters. Moving in builds focus and tension; moving out reveals the wider picture.
The name comes from the dolly, a wheeled cart that carries the camera, often along tracks. Moving toward the subject is a dolly in, or push in; moving away is a dolly out, or pull out.
A dolly is not the same as a zoom. A zoom only magnifies the picture from where the camera stands. A dolly moves the camera itself, so things in the foreground slide past faster than things in the background, which gives a real sense of depth.
Speed carries meaning. A slow push toward a face suggests someone is realizing something; a quick pull back can leave a person suddenly small and alone in a big space.
As the narrator reads the letter telling a young inventor that his patent has been granted, the shot pushes in slowly from the cluttered desk to his face.
Last reviewed 15 October 2026.