Handheld
A way of filming where the operator holds the camera in their hands or on their shoulder. The small, irregular shake of a human body comes through on screen, so the viewer feels like they are right there. A pan or tracking move done by hand is handheld either way, and the strength can range from a gentle sway to a rough shake.
How it feels
- Realism
- Urgency
- Unease
- Being there
- Chaos
When to use it
- Documentaries or observational scenes
- A chase through a crowded market or alley
- Chaotic moments, like a fight or an accident
- Making it feel like it was shot on a news camera or a phone
In the movies
Don't Look Back 1967
D. A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan documentary. Given as an example of a handheld shot in Columbia’s film glossary.
Schindler's List 1993
Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński said he had the operator sit on a dolly seat while holding the camera by hand.
Not to be confused with
- Steadicam
- A Steadicam or gimbal is also carried, but it filters out the shake and glides smoothly.
- Dutch Angle
- Handheld horizon wobble is a small, accidental tilt. A Dutch angle is a large tilt held on purpose.
- Static
- A shot locked on a tripod with no shake at all. It feels calm and objective.
Prompt
handheld camera
Handheld camera. The shot is framed at eye level but carries subtle, irregular shake and slight horizon wobble, as if a camera operator is standing right there, documentary style.
Try these combinations
Handheld + shaky cam: a market chase
Handheld camera shot during a chaotic marketplace chase, shaky cam, fast cuts
Handheld: documentary style
Handheld documentary film style, a nurse walking through a busy hospital corridor, natural light