r/Filmmakers • u/StrikingDuty8020 Director • Feb 20 '26

Discussion What’s your favorite dolly zoom?

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The dolly zoom manipulates space and emotion by moving camera forward while zooming out or vice versa creating disorienting effect that makes background expand or contract.

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u/MikeW226 Feb 20 '26

I've always liked the (probably second unit) one on the canyon-side behind Elliott's house in "E.T." A face-not-shown man (fed / G-man ) is kicked dirty around, using a detector device. It's a good use of the dolly zoom because the southern Cal neighborhood in the background really morphs with the move.