Fixed Cam
locked camera
A fixed camera locks position and tilt so all motion belongs to the world, not the operator. The mount does not pan, tilt, or travel; blocking has to finish the shot.
Narrative function
Trust blocking. A kitchen, a hallway, a stage: people enter, work, leave, and the frame stays a law.
Duration becomes visible because the camera refuses to help. It is the wrong tool when a look or a stand requires a reframe to keep power readable.
If you start drifting to be kind, you no longer have a fixed cam. You have a timid pan.
How it works
Sticks, a wall mount, or a hidden lock-off. Pick height (often eye or a formal chest) and a lens that holds the room (often 35 to 50mm).
Deep enough focus that action in more than one plane can be read. Prompt: Fixed camera on [Subject], locked position and tilt, all motion belonging to the world, not the operator.
When to use it
Use it when the scene is blocking: chores, a ritual, a joke that happens in the wide. Do not free the head to chase a line.
Compared with similar shots
Static Locked-Off is the locked-off shot as a catalog size of move (none). Tableau is a staging idea: a composed field to be read as a picture.
Fixed cam is the camera-movement rule: the support does not participate. A Pan that only adjusts a little is already a different contract.
In film
Jeanne Dielman holds rooms until chores become the film. Rope is often cited for long takes, but those cameras travel; a true fixed cam would not.
Use Akerman as the lock-off grammar.
Prompt it
Lock it. Still: Fixed camera on [Subject], locked position and tilt, all motion belonging to the world, not the operator.
Video: Camera locked. Only [Subject] and the air move.
Name the height. Forbid even a small pan.
What usually goes wrong
The usual wrong cousin is a slow wander or a motivated pan. The tell: the frame eases to keep a face centered.
The fix: pick a composition, lock pan and tilt, and let people leave the frame if they must.
Questions
What is Fixed Cam in film?
A fixed camera is locked in position and tilt. People and weather may move; the operator does not.
Fixed Cam vs Tableau
Tableau is a staging idea, a picture to be read. Fixed cam is the mechanical rule that the support does not pan, tilt, or travel. They often meet, but they are not the same word.
When should I use Fixed Cam?
Use it when blocking can carry the scene: a room, a ritual, a gag in the wide. Do not free the head to chase dialogue.
How do I prompt Fixed Cam for AI image or video?
Write a locked position and tilt. Example: Fixed camera on [Subject], locked position and tilt, all motion belonging to the world, not the operator.
Melies can generate this Fixed Cam
Melies is the AI filmmaking workspace. This Fixed Cam opens with the camera path and prompt already loaded, so you generate the move instead of describing it from scratch.