As intense as it gets – spinning through the scene with a Snorricam

For LinkedIn, our video production team created a promotional campaign for the movingimage Virtual Events tool. The campaign was launched as a mini-series aimed at our target audience. The goal? To stand out visually – especially for those watching on mute, as many do on social media.

Our video-savvy editor, Tatjana Tertyshnik, stepped into the lead role: she plays an overwhelmed communications manager who—thanks to the Virtual Events tool—manages to pull off her massive event plan after all.

What is a Snorricam?

But how do you translate the protagonist’s stress—stumbling through the office under a flood of requests—into a visual experience that the audience can actually feel? The answer: the Snorricam. This is a body-mounted camera rig that’s strapped around the actor, allowing the lens to remain locked on them while the world spins around.

Originally built in the 1990s by Icelandic photographers Einar and Eiður Snorri for music videos, the Snorricam became widely known thanks to director Darren Aronofsky. He used it to dramatic effect in intense, emotionally charged scenes in his psychological thrillers Pi (1998) and Requiem for a Dream (2000). The result: an intimate, disorienting view of characters played by Jennifer Connelly or Jared Leto as they disconnect from their surroundings—just like our protagonist Tatjana.

Fast scene and cut transitions amplify the dizzying effect. Post-production added optical distortions and a soundtrack reminiscent of Prodigy’s big beats. Pure stress—for Tatjana and the audience alike.

What are the challenges of filming with a Snorricam?

One of the trickiest parts of the shoot was keeping the waist harness—which held the camera rig securely on Tatjana—out of the frame. Thankfully, a well-placed blazer concealed it in every shot.

Another challenge: the weight. At around seven kilograms, the full rig wasn’t exactly featherlight. But for short takes, it was manageable.

A quick look back: The history of bodycams

Long before the Snorricam, filmmakers were experimenting with camera rigs that moved with their subjects—or were strapped directly to them. One early example is the German film Kuhle Wampe or: Who Owns the World? (1932), which uses Brechtian techniques and early body-mounted camera work to create a sense of detachment and immersion. In one scene, the audience is led through a crowd of children as if walking alongside the female protagonist. Back then, the gear was significantly heavier and far harder to control.

As filmmaking technology evolved, cameras became lighter and more portable. In Mean Streets (1973), Martin Scorsese used a bodycam to amplify the dizzying disorientation of a drunken character. The same technique is seen decades later in The Hangover (2009) to depict a character’s post-party haze.

Today, body-mounted action cams—often attached to helmets—are standard in sports broadcasting and gaming content. Even smartphone selfie videos, whether handheld, on a stick, or shot with a gimbal, can achieve a similar "Snorricam effect." All it takes is a bit of intentional camera shake.

Curious to see how the Snorricam looked in action in our own ad? Watch the clip below!