Origins of the shaking cam

gbt2323

New member
I'm sure almost everyone one here has seen it. Sometimes during a fight scene in a cartoon the screen will slightly tilt side to side for a few seconds. This type of camera technique gives the impression that there is actually an amateur cameraman/bystander filming the fight while its happening.

I've seen this technique used in a lot of modern action cartoons such as JLU, Ben 10 Alien Force, Teen Titans, The Batman, Spectacular Spider-man, Transformers Animated (Its totally abused in the season 1 finale), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Batman The Brave and The Bold is especially fond of it. I haven't seen it myself but I was told it was used during a fight scene in South Park. I've even seen it in anime such Guyver The Bio Boosted Armor, .hack//Sign, and .hack//Legend of the Twilight.

I have two questions:
1. What cartoon can this trend be traced back to? (I havent seen too many 80's or 90's cartoon so there might be a few who have also done it)

2. How do you feel about? Do you like it, hate it, or are you indifferent to it.?

Note: There is a variation of this technique worth mentioning in which the camera violently and or slightly shakes to portray impact or strength. Its usually done when a large or heavyweight character moves or when a character does a particularly powerful attack or action (such as lifting or throwing something heavy).
 
I don't really know about the first shaky camera use in a cartoon, though it would have to be at a time where animators could afford not using a single image for the background.

And as long as the shows don't go overboard with it like Cloverfield, I'm fine with it.
 
I think it probably comes more from live-action action films. I also think it helps make scenes a lot more exciting, or at least the examples of it I've do.
 
Pani Poni Dash!, Hidamari Sketch and Lucky Star have also done it (from what I know so far), although they're not even action series.
 
I think that it may have began with watching a few home movies, okay I really don't know but I don't like it in most of todays films, its hard to see anything.
 
As far as live action is concerned, it goes back to the neo-realism movement in postwar Italy, when the studios wee so badly damaged in the war that filmmakers decided to take to the streets with handheld cameras. The French new wave later picked up the technique for aesthetic reasons.
 
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