Watch: The Dolly Zoom is More Than a Cheap Trick

In a new video, the YouTuber known as Now You See It takes a closer look at the dolly zoom, a camera move that's is also often called the "Vertigo effect." You've seen it before: it's when the camera physically moves either closer or further from its subject while zooming out or in on it at the same time. The result can be disorienting, but as this video explores, it can be utilized as more than just a simple visual trick:

The Dolly Zoom is a bizarre cinematic effect, and it can do a lot more than just make you dizzy. Let's take a look at some famous instances of the dolly zoom, see what they accomplish, and explore how it teaches a lot of principles of filmmaking.