Humaniora
Vol. 17 No. 2 (2026): Humaniora: Journal of Indonesian Culture and Society (In Press)

Camera Movement Style in Indonesian OTT Originals: Two-Case Using Nielsen’s Five Functions

Fajar Aji (Institut Seni Indonesia Surakarta
Universitas Jember)

Ranang Agung Sugihartono (Institut Seni Indonesia Surakarta)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Jul 2026

Abstract

Indonesian original series produced for over-the-top (OTT) platforms increasingly rely on cinematic camera mobility. However, scholarship has rarely clarified how camera movement operates as a recurring directorial style in Indonesian OTT originals, particularly when its functions are specified systematically. This article addresses this gap through a qualitative two-case study of Little Mom (2021) and Zona Merah (2024). The analysis is conducted within Bordwell's poetics-of-cinema approach. It is anchored in Nielsen's five functions of camera movement (orienting, inflectional, rhythmic, reflexive, and abstract), which are applied to selected key scenes where camera movement is formally salient. Data were generated through repeated scene observation, interviews with key creators, and document and literature review. Findings indicate that each series develops a patterned movement signature. In Little Mom, sustained drift and crab movement, together with follow-orbit mobility, recur as a stylistic strategy that modulates melodramatic affect. At narrative peaks, CGI-assisted traversal and compositing extend movement possibilities and cue a limited reflexive awareness of the image’s constructedness. In Zona Merah, one-shot handheld traversal is combined with follow-and-scan pans and whip-pan impact beats to maintain spatial orientation under threat while intensifying sensory tension. Across both cases, orienting, inflectional, rhythmic, and reflexive functions recur most consistently, whereas the abstract function appears only marginally in the analyzed corpus. The article conceptualizes camera movement as a recurring directorial style in Indonesian OTT originals. It proposes a two-case analytical framework linking motion patterns, visual stylistic identity, and immersive viewing experience.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

Humaniora

Publisher

Subject

Humanities

Description

The journal invites professionals in the world of education, research, and entrepreneurship to participate in disseminating ideas, concepts, new theories, or science development in the field of Language, Culture, Visual Communication Design, Interior and Furniture Design, Character Building, Law, ...