Crane Shot

A crane shot is named so after the cantilevered arm device on which the camera sits. The camera is on a platform attached to the mechanical arm which allows the camera to move around in any direction as well as up and down to various heights. There are many reasons why a director would choose to use a crane shot. A crane's fluidity of movement and range of height can give an unusual omniscient perspective that is especially powerful if the audience knows something the character does not.