Lesson 5 of 14 · Module 2: Exposure and Focus
Focus Pulls Without a Follow Focus
Shoot a static 10 second clip that racks focus from a near object to a far object using a single manual tap during recording.
Blackmagic App Update - How to Rack Focus
Direct screen-recorded demo of setting two focus points and pulling between them using the free Blackmagic Camera app on iPhone. The single best phone-specific rack-focus demonstration found (2024).
Objective
Why This Matters
A focus pull, the shift from a sharp near object to a sharp far object mid-shot, is one of those small moves that instantly signals someone knew what they were doing. Done badly, the phone "hunts," pulsing in and out of focus and never quite landing, which looks worse than not attempting it at all.
The Technique
Set up two objects at different distances: a mug or your hand close to the lens, a chair or doorway ten feet back. Brace the phone (against a table edge, a stack of books, or a steady two-hand grip planted against your body) so it cannot move during the shot, since any camera movement during a focus pull compounds the blur and makes it look like a mistake rather than a choice.
Start recording. Hold on the near object in sharp focus for about 3 seconds (it should already be sharp, since it’s usually what the phone focuses on by default). Then tap once, decisively, on the far object in your frame. On both iPhone and Android, a single tap during active recording triggers a smooth autofocus shift to that point, not an instant snap. Expect roughly half a second of lag between your tap and the shift landing.
Don’t double-tap, don’t drag your finger, don’t tap multiple spots in a row. Each extra tap resets the shift and reads as indecisive hunting rather than a clean pull. Hold on the far object, now sharp, for the rest of the clip.
Watch For This
Good
- Near object starts in clean, obvious focus.
- A single tap triggers a smooth, deliberate shift to the far object.
- Far object lands fully sharp within about a second and stays there.
Classic Failure
- Focus never fully lands on the far object, it pulses in and out ("hunting").
- Multiple taps reset the pull repeatedly instead of committing to one.
- The camera itself moves during the pull, adding shake on top of the blur.
Your Drill
Set two objects at different distances (near: 1 to 2 feet, far: 8 to 10 feet). Brace the phone so it can’t move. Record 10 seconds: hold sharp on the near object for 3 seconds, tap once on the far object, hold the rest of the clip on the now-sharp far object. 3 takes.
Pass Checklist
Lesson complete
Criterion met: The far object reaches full sharp focus within about 1 second of the tap, and stays sharp for the remainder of the clip, with no more than one tap used.
Coach Note
You tapped three times chasing the focus. One clean tap and a beat of patience beats three anxious ones every time, the phone needs a half second to catch up to you.
Resurfaces In
Lesson 8 (Pans, Tilts and Walk-and-Talk), Lesson 14 (Capstone).