Motion control filming involves the camera being attached to a rig, controlled by computer. Precise camera moves are programmed according to what you want to achieve complete with focus changes and then these can be repeated as many times as you want.

– The moves are accurate to the millimetre – perfect for fine detail product shots where you might want to use specialised lenses that exaggerate any tiny unwanted camera movement.

– Repeating the move means you can change props, positions of people and lighting between moves and then combine several shots in post production so they all look like one shot.

– So if you are lighting something that is very reflective, by doing multiple moves or “passes” you can conceal any unwanted lighting stands, shadows, reflections and so on. Most high-end car commercials that are done in a studio use motion control techniques. At the other end of the scale we have used the technique successfully with much smaller products – for example curved, mirror finish chrome shower components and taps.

– Motion control and CGI work beautifully together. As the moves are programmed in 3D and are very precise all the information from the move can be interpreted by animation software so you can put the two together. When this technique is done properly it blurs the lines between reality and CGI to the point where most people really can’t tell when one ends and the other starts.