What is the primary use of dollying in film production?

Dolly movements in film production involve physically moving the camera closer to or further away from a subject on a wheeled platform. This technique enriches the visual storytelling by allowing the audience to experience a more dynamic perspective of the shot—changing the spatial relationship between the camera and the subject. This movement can heighten emotional impact or provide contextual information, offering viewers a deeper understanding of the scene.

Dolly shots are different from zooming, where the lens itself changes its focal length, rather than physically moving the camera. While dolly movements can create a similar effect to zooming by altering the distance to the subject, the physical space and depth perception are approached differently. Additionally, when changing the angle of a shot, the camera's position and orientation must also be adjusted, which is not always the case with a dolly shot that focuses solely on adjusting distance. Although stabilization techniques may sometimes be deployed alongside dolly shots, stabilization itself does not define the primary use of dolly movements.