Moves that hold together
Slow push in, slow pull out, gentle orbit, static tripod and slow handheld follow all complete reliably in short clips. They share one property: the frame changes at a constant rate, which gives the model a stable pattern to extend.
Moves that break
Whip pans, rack focus, dolly zooms and complex crane moves exceed what short-clip models can coordinate. They tend to produce geometry that warps, or a subject that simply stops moving while the background swims.
Lighting is a physics hint
Naming a light source does more than set a mood. It tells the model where shadows must fall as the subject moves. Be explicit: soft window light from frame left, a single hard source, neon signage below frame.
- Contrast gives the model edges to track — flat lighting makes limbs dissolve.
- Rim light separates the subject from a dark background and reduces smearing.
- Mixed colour temperature is attractive but harder to keep consistent across frames.
Framing choices
Portrait framing gives the model more pixels per face, which improves identity hold. Wide framing is more forgiving of limb errors because hands are small. Choose according to which failure you would rather avoid.
Build a personal shortlist
After a few sessions, most people converge on three or four camera-and-light combinations that work with their own source material. Write them down and reuse them instead of exploring new vocabulary every time.