# Shaky-cam needs to die! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322 "2015-03-06T00:24:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/21 "2015-03-06T17:02:42Z")
I first encountered this ‘technique’ in _Breaking the Waves_ back in the mid to late 1990s. It certainly caused some stomach discomfort, although I never felt like I was in danger of throwing up. But it left me with a permanent antipathy towards that technique. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/22 "2015-03-06T17:43:21Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I first encountered this ‘technique’ in _Breaking the Waves_ back in the mid to late 1990s. It certainly caused some stomach discomfort, although I never felt like I was in danger of throwing up. But it left me with a permanent antipathy towards that technique. Yes, the thread title has been truth for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/23 "2015-03-06T17:43:41Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > When Richard Belzer crossed over to do a **Law and Order** episode, he was startled to see the cameras were on tripods. Are you sure? Because I was going to mention L&O as one of the first uses of, if not “shaky cam”, then “weavy cam”, where the camera doesn’t sit still, but doesn’t draw attention to itself either. It was way more subtle than the excessive puke-inducing work we see these days. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/24 "2015-03-06T20:29:50Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > What? Y’all don’t like my camera work? ☹ Sorry no. If it’s any consolation, you were a great clown. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/25 "2015-03-06T20:34:00Z")
Die Shaky-Cam Die! I couldn’t agree more with this especially for fight scenes. The beauty of a fight sequence is the movement and counter-movement. The problem with the rapid cuts and shaky-cam is you can’t see what is going on and so all the beauty of it is sucked out. I can’t wait until it falls out of vogue. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/26 "2015-03-06T20:41:29Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Exactly. > > It’s like running a crawl across the screen saying “This isn’t really happening.” It’s worse than that. In scenes where somebody is alone and in trouble the first thing that comes to my mind is, “Hey, the cameraman is there. Maybe he can help.” Nothing like ruining the mood of the scene by constantly reminding you that its not real. ---
**Author:** ![Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disgruntled_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/27 "2015-03-07T04:24:47Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > It’s worse than that. In scenes where somebody is alone and in trouble the first thing that comes to my mind is, “Hey, the cameraman is there. Maybe he can help.” > > . If it’s the camera crew from Man Bites Dog, they won’t. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/28 "2015-03-07T05:19:40Z")
I do a ton of handheld, and pride myself on the rock-like stability of my shots. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like to be hired for a shoot and find the director wants the camerawork to resemble that of a spider monkey on crack. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322/29 "2015-03-07T08:34:09Z")
It’s only, really, suitable for when a space ship gets struck by a photon beam and the actors wobble, grabbing onto their chairs’ arms, and when an earthquake is happening in a 70’s movie and the actors wobble, falling around the set and grab onto whatever is nearest. Basically its amateur hour camera work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shaky-cam-needs-to-die/714322.md?page=1)