most cliched shots/visuals

[imagemaker]

What are some camera tricks or shots or visuals that filmmakers use that are now a cliche? one big one that i can think of is the zoom/dolly shot from jaws. Think of any more?

[notchreturns]

Yeah, Hitchcock invented the dolly out - zoom in and perfected it, Spielberg used it once, brillantly, and it seems alot of directors are trying to do the same.

Also, split screens and the shaky camera effect(used in Fight Club) will be cliched in a couple of years.

[ColinM]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by imagemaker:
one big one that i can think of is the zoom/dolly shot from jaws.</font>

This is the first one that came to mind because I just saw it yesterday on Me Myself and Irene. It's really annoying seeing it everywhere. And the most annoying use of it was in the horrendiously bad movie called Shark Attack 2. It was just one of the many rip-offs of Jaws that was in that movie. They used that shot many times.

[Grebdron]

Without a doubt, John Woo's use of the slow motion action shots. God I hate that. And in the movie I saw two nights ago, The Big Hit, his protege is doing the same thing. Is that like a big thing in Chinese cinema?

[Terrell]

The flock of birds flying over a huge CGI/effects shot of a city, to make it look real and give it scope.

[Cyclonus]

Along the same line, the cliched opening shot of a helicoptor over a cityscape.

[VicVega]

That Matrix-style stop motion and then rotation shot. The character jumps and then the shot freezes and the camera does a 360 rotation around the character.

[pat00139]

Mine's less of a technical cliché, but I'm really, really getting annoyed this: something blows up and part of that something goes flying into the cameera.

It's an easy way for a transition, sure, but it's really annoying.

[the movie guy]

Original Post:
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Mine's less of a technical cliché, but I'm really, really getting annoyed this: something blows up and part of that something goes flying into the cameera.

It's an easy way for a transition, sure, but it's really annoying.
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I completely agree. Seeing an obviously CGI piece of burning wood or whatever fly at the screen happens way too often. Sadly, I can only think of one example right now, but I know there are definately others... In THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE a building blows up (it's in the trailer) and there is way too much fire for us to believe it's a real explosion and then the EXACT cliche you mentioned happens with a burning piece of wood.

Speaking of explosions though, why is it that every time one goes off by our hero, he has to fly straight back about 23 feet!?! i.e. Speed, The Transporter (new movie by Luc Besson. The trailer's online now) and several others. Can't they just be knocked down and - though they wouldn't be able to so easily as they do in movies - get back up with some SINGED HAIRS or something?

[Zed]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by VicVega:
That Matrix-style stop motion and then rotation shot. The character jumps and then the shot freezes and the camera does a 360 rotation around the character.</font>

I was going to mention that. Now it seems that we can watch bullets in slow motion in every movie.

[Tom Samborski]

Any John Woo movie where one of the characters jumps across the screen firing two guns, it's good but it's quite overdone.

[MuzzleBlast]

Any time any character in any movie uses any piece of optical equipment (binoculars, telescope, rifle scope, camera, etc.) the camera lets us take a peek, as if we are suddenly able to see through that character's eyes.

[The Shadow]

I actually like this one - Usually the camera is behind a person and suddenly the camera enlongates or something and then an object that was close becomes far-away or vice versa. Know what I am talking about?

[Horror_chick]

I hate bullet time! I suppose it was a novel idea in the matrix, but now it is overused. You would think people could be more creative!

[beastieben21]

Not exactly a shot, but a way of shooting. Often before something "scary" will happen in a movie, the camera gets really close to the character we are dealing with, so that you can only see them in the frame. Now, usually the character is moving back and forth, and the camera follows. But to create a cheap scare, when the character turns again, there is someone/something RIGHT next to them. This is always accompanied by a giant "DUNNNNN!" and your creepy music.

It has gotten to the point where if its ever dark, and the camera is close on a character, I'll just roll my eyes. Its a cheap scare, that just tries to "shock" you real quick, instead of actually building suspense.