Snorricam
A way of filming where a rig on the actor’s body holds the camera facing them. The camera moves with the body, so the actor stays in the same spot in the frame, and when they walk or stagger, the world behind them lurches and spins. Since it shoots up close, it uses a wide-angle lens. The name comes from the Snorri brothers of Iceland, who built the original rig.
How it feels
- Unease
- Panic
- Intoxication
- Subjective
- Isolation
When to use it
- A character staggering on drugs or alcohol
- A character running in a panic
- Making the viewer feel a character’s inner state through the body
In the movies
Requiem for a Dream 2000
Directed by Darren Aronofsky. The rig was mounted on a vest the actor wore under their clothes, mostly with a 14mm lens. It was built by camera technician Mike Ferra, and the name "Snorricam" honors the Snorri brothers, who built the original rig for the director’s previous film, Pi.
Not to be confused with
- Follow Shot
- In a leading shot, the operator walks backward separately in front of the character, so the background is stable. In a Snorricam the camera is attached to the body, so the character stays fixed and the background shakes.
- Handheld
- In handheld, the operator carries the camera and follows, so the whole frame shakes. A Snorricam is attached to the character, so the character does not move in the frame.
- POV
- A POV shows what the character sees through their eyes. A Snorricam faces the character’s face.
Prompt
snorricam
Body-mounted camera. The camera is rigged to the character's chest, facing their face, so they stay fixed in frame while the world sways behind them.
Try these combinations
Snorricam: staggering drunk down a street at night
Snorricam shot of a man stumbling drunk through a crowded night street, neon lights swaying behind him
Snorricam + wide angle: panic running through a forest
Body-mounted camera facing a woman running in panic through a forest, wide lens, trees whipping past