VFX Atlas
H 146 / 3211960s

Rack Focus

Rack focus / focus pull. 1967: a striking example in New Hollywood

Typeface · Italiana

Michael Weinman (2014): Shifting the focus from nearby rods to the work scene behind them. Temporal effect: still image or image sequence.
Michael Weinman (2014): Shifting the focus from nearby rods to the work scene behind them. Temporal effect: still image or image sequence.Michael Weinman, CC BY-SA 2.0; via Wikimedia Commons. Frames rearranged and resized. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0View source ↗

Prompt

Apply a Rack Focus effect as a still frame captured after a focus shift: make one existing depth plane crisply detailed while another becomes strongly defocused. Use smooth optical blur, soft circular highlight bokeh, and a natural transition between distances, without motion streaks. Keep the original subject and composition.

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Identify

One subject becomes blurry, while another appears clear.

Principle

The focus1 shifts between different distances.

Example

The Graduate, 1967.

Try it out

Shift the focus from your hand to your face.

Background

Focus shift directs attention without a cut. The audience discovers a detail or a figure as soon as the lens focuses on its distance. Cornell describes a striking example in The Graduate from 1967. The chronological position refers to this film, not to an undeniable invention. Modern cameras automate the process, but the timing, direction, and dramatic context remain artistic choices.

Distinction

A rack focus changes the focus plane, not the focal length. Some lenses also exhibit focus breathing: the image area changes slightly.

Aftermath

What becomes sharp can fulfill the same narrative function as a cut.

Further examples · 7 images

Focus puller
02 Focus pullerA camera assistant operates the follow-focus mechanism on a motion picture camera. This specialized equipment allows for the precise, manual focus adjustments required to execute a rack focus during a shot.ARRI-35mm-Kamera-im-Drehein.jpg: Clemens Pfeiffer, Wien The original uploader was Hieke at German Wikipedia. derivative · Attribution · Wikimedia Commons
Focus puller adjusts the focus on a Panavision camera
03 Focus puller adjusts the focus on a Panavision cameraA crew member's hand is visible on the follow focus knob of a camera rig. This device is the primary apparatus used to execute precise, manual rack focus shifts during a take.Elio Yañez · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
FocusDemonstration-BambooRooftop
04 FocusDemonstration-BambooRooftopA side-by-side comparison shows the same composition with different focus points. The left frame focuses on the foreground bamboo, while the right frame shifts focus to the background structure, demonstrating the core mechanic of rack focus.SoHome Jacaranda Lilau · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
AI illustration: A hand in the foreground is sharp, while the woman in the background is b
05 AI illustration: A hand in the foreground is sharp, while the woman in the background is bA hand in the foreground is sharp, while the woman in the background is blurred. The shallow depth of field creates the necessary setup for a rack focus transition between the two planes.Illustration generated for the Atlas (AI)
AI illustration: The glass in the foreground is sharply defined against a blurry backgroun
06 AI illustration: The glass in the foreground is sharply defined against a blurry backgrounThe glass in the foreground is sharply defined against a blurry background figure in a doorway. This composition illustrates the starting or ending point of a focus pull between two distinct distances.Illustration generated for the Atlas (AI)
AI illustration: The foreground hand is blurry while the woman's face in the background is
07 AI illustration: The foreground hand is blurry while the woman's face in the background isThe foreground hand is blurry while the woman's face in the background is in sharp focus. This setup demonstrates the selective depth of field required for a rack focus transition.Illustration generated for the Atlas (AI)

Question

What changes occur with Rack Focus?

Show possible answer +

The set focus distance; not necessarily the angle of view or camera location.

Sources