A spider cam is a cable-suspended camera system in which a camera is hung from cables attached to multiple anchor points at the corners or perimeter of a large space, such as a stadium or arena, allowing the camera to be flown to any position within the space by adjusting the tension on each cable. The spider cam system gives broadcasters and filmmakers the ability to position a camera anywhere in three-dimensional space above a large venue, from field level to high above the playing surface, with smooth, rapid movement impossible for any ground-based or crane-mounted system.

Spider cam systems are used extensively in sports broadcasting to provide dynamic aerial coverage of large events, including football matches, tennis, athletics, and motorsport, where the ability to fly the camera quickly across the playing field and reframe from different heights adds broadcast coverage angles unavailable from static camera positions. The system is also used in live entertainment, concerts, and large-scale productions where a flying camera adds aerial perspectives to coverage without requiring a crane or helicopter. The spider cam is operated remotely, typically by a dedicated operator controlling the cable tension ratios and camera pan-tilt-roll through a remote head, with the camera's position in three-dimensional space calculated in real time from the cable lengths. The system's most recognizable outputs are sweeping low-level passes across a playing surface or rapid repositioning moves from one side of a venue to another that create a dramatic aerial perspective.

AI video generation can simulate spider cam aesthetics through prompts describing low-level flying camera movement across a large space, such as "camera swoops low across the pitch from one end to the other" or "aerial cable cam view flying across the stadium." These descriptions communicate the characteristic movement quality and spatial perspective of spider cam footage.