Word.ws English Dictionary

pull-focus

UK/pʊl ˈfəʊkəs/

pull-focus noun: a filming technique whereby the focal point is drawn towards the viewer; also a shot (as part of an edit) in which such a technique is used. Also used attributively.

Noun

pull-focus

  1. A filming technique whereby the focal point is drawn towards the viewer; also a shot (as part of an edit) in which such a technique is used. Also used attributively.
    • ...this image of pure light forms (through a pull-focus) into an image of a snow-covered field, in the middle of which is a mother holding her two sons.1989, R Bruce Elder, Image and Identity: Reflections on Canadian Film and Culture, page 384
    • To set up a pull-focus shot, frame your shot so that the two subjects, at different distances from the camera, are in view.2007, Gary Hudson et al., The Broadcast Journalism Handbook, page 212

Origin of pull-focus

From pull + focus.

Questions about pull-focus

What does pull-focus mean?
Pull-focus means a filming technique whereby the focal point is drawn towards the viewer; also a shot (as part of an edit) in which such a technique is used. Also used attributively.
What part of speech is pull-focus?
Pull-focus is a noun.
How do you pronounce pull-focus?
Pull-focus is pronounced /pʊl ˈfəʊkəs/ (UK).

Words near pull-focus in the dictionary

  1. pull-backs
  2. pull-down
  3. pull-down resistor
  4. pull-down resistors
  5. pull-downs
  6. pull-focus
  7. pull-in
  8. pull-ins
  9. pull-off
  10. pull-off cap
  11. pull-off caps

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: pull-focus (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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