The SnorriCam Effect: Recreating the Unique Look of Ed Sheeran's ´Sapphire´

8/08/2025 ISO 1200 Magazine 1 Comments

A recent breakdown of Ed Sheeran’s music video for "Sapphire" reveals the clever combination of gear behind a fascinating cinematic effect. The shot in question keeps Ed's face perfectly centered and steady while the background swirls and moves around him in a dynamic, almost hypnotic way.

It's an effect that looks incredibly complex but is achieved with a specialty camera rig and a powerful wide-angle lens. This isn't just movie magic; it’s a creative approach to cinematography that photographers and videographers can learn from.

Mathieu Stern´s video provides a detailed look at how this shot was created, identifying the two main components that made it possible. Let's break down the creative tools and techniques that brought this vision to life.

The SnorriCam gets its name from its creators, two Icelandic filmmakers named Einar and Eiður Snorri, who are known as the Snorri Bros. They developed the rig in the mid-1990s for a low-budget music video for an all-girl punk band. The idea was to create a dynamic and energetic visual that felt like it was "inside the heads" of the band members.

The Gear Behind the Shot

The secret to the centered action is a piece of equipment called a SnorriCam. This is a body-mounted camera rig that attaches the camera directly to the subject. The camera becomes an extension of the person wearing it, ensuring the subject stays perfectly still in the frame no matter how much they move or turn.

This creates a powerful, immersive effect where the viewer is placed right in the middle of the action. The other half of the equation is the lens: the Laowa 12mm T2.9 Zero-D. This ultra-wide-angle lens is perfect for this type of shot because of its "Zero Distortion" feature.

How to Recreate the Effect

You don't need a professional production budget to experiment with this technique. Here’s how you can try to achieve a similar effect:

Mimic the Snory Cam: Create a DIY rig that locks your camera to your body. A chest harness or even a sturdy neck strap can work in a pinch. The goal is to keep the camera at a fixed distance from your subject.
Choose the Right Lens: Use a wide-angle lens, ideally one with minimal distortion. The wider the lens, the more dramatic the background movement will be.
Move with Purpose: The magic is in the motion. Walk, spin, or turn slowly and purposefully to make the background swirl and change around your subject.
Stay Focused: Keep your subject well-lit and make sure they are the primary focus. The background adds context and motion, but the subject is the star.

Image and video via Mathieu Stern