Ultimate Guide to the Tracking Shot — Cinematic Camera Movement Explained

foreign [Music] movements in a filmmaker's toolkit its technique has been utilized in some of the most iconic shots in cinema history in this video we'll examine the tracking shot what is it what forms can it take and why do filmmakers return to it again and again this is The Ultimate Guide to tracking shots before we get started make sure to subscribe and click the bell for more filmmaking videos let's begin a tracking shot is when a moving camera independently follows or tracks one or more moving characters because there's an unspoken thing there is no unspoken thing the camera itself needs to be mobile sell a pan or tilt even if following a character does not Cloud so don't do it when a tracking shot follows the subject by moving backwards or forwards this is referred to as a dolly regardless of the actual equipment used to achieve the move not the word I'd use when the camera moves laterally to the left or right this is referred to as Trucking [Music] oh my God the term tracking shot comes from the tracks that a camera and Dolly would need to be placed on to achieve the shot in a time when the camera was much bulkier and difficult to move today a tracking shot is not limited just dollies it can be on a Steadicam a shoulder mount a drone or anything else which moves it through space as such the shot comes in a variety of shapes and sizes the type of tracking shot a filmmaker uses is rooted in the mood they are hoping to achieve a tracking shot in an action film may look very different from one in a horror let's look at some of the variables that go into a tracking shot beginning with the types of movement [Applause] the effect of a tracking shot relies heavily on just how the camera is moving and how the camera is moving relies on what equipment the crew is using when a shot is executed with a dolly the movement is usually extremely smooth because the camera is on tracks the movement is exact perfect for a shot like this one from Paths of Glory where the camera's perfect movement fits the uptight military Superior everything is moving like clockwork there's no surprise then that a dolly tracking shot is a Wes Anderson favorite in this scene from the French dispatch Anderson uses a trucking shot to follow Roebuck and to establish the inner workings of the police station police cooking began with the Stakeout picnic in Paddy Wagon snack but is evolved and codified into something refined intensely nourishing and if executed properly marvelously flavorful but smooth camera movement isn't only achieved through dollies steadicams can achieve a similar look without being confined to a trap one of the most famous Steadicam tracking shots of all time can be found in Goodfellas here Martin Scorsese uses the Steadicam to float through the crowded Copacabana a feat which would have been nearly impossible on a dolly the Steadicam smoothness emphasizes that Henry is at the top of his game everything about the night is effortless what do you do what what do you do I'm in construction clean the camera on a crane means I mean allows for more vertical movement in the opening scene of the player Robert Altman uses a crane to establish the main location of the film a studio lot the Crane's Mobility allows him to then move from character to character all within one shot which goes on to last over eight minutes the lead character is a 50 year old female male circus performer a fire eater let me read the coverage filmmakers have also begun using drones in place of crimes allowing for even more extreme versatility [Music] sometimes smooth movement isn't the objective a handheld tracking shot can Infuse energy into a seam as children of men illustrates director Alfonso cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel debesky's use of handheld creates a gritty realism making conflict look reminiscent of real war footage oh [Music] handheld isn't just for Action set pieces French New Way Pioneer Jean-Luc gadard opted for handheld for this dialogue scene in Breathless adding an improvisatory feeling to The Exchange but to avoid a distracting level of shakiness cinematographer Raul kutad sat in a wheelchair while Goddard himself rolled him backwards a tracking shot can also vary based on Len's choice telephoter lens for example will compress the space around the subject making an already hectic scene even more intense a wide lens meanwhile can allow for more Dynamic shots since it exaggerates movement [Music] depth of field 2 is an important variable in tracking shots a shallow depth of field can isolate a character from the world around them while a deep depth of field situates them in their surroundings choice of equipment is a crucial decision when planning out a tracking shot and so is framing and camera angle [Music] what it's framing is a large factor in the effect it will have on an audience a close-up tracking shot for example places profound emphasis on a character son of Saul uses a close-up from behind to create a sense of uncomfortable claustrophobia [Music] in this shot from tar a medium close-up allows us to watch the complex shifting emotions on Lydia's face [Music] I'm tracking shot is a common coverage choice for the Aaron's Sorkin walk and talk any chance I could get to go out there instead of me hahaha I love you Steve I love you too Oz it operates as a mobile two-shot adding kineticism to a conversation that otherwise could be visually stale with a foot massage a foot massage is nothing to get my mother this medium shot in Magnolia allows us to focus on multiple characters while also getting past from subject to subject [Music] by doing so the shot evokes the busyness backstage [Music] thing the uh Corey Huntington Terrace Senior High School a wide tracking shot can emphasize the setting the subjects are moving through particularly useful for establishing massive sets like the Day of the Dead parade inspector in the Revenant a dynamic wide tracking shot is used to capture the chaos of a battle and allows for multiple layers of action [ __ ] [ __ ] as the Revenant illustrates the nature of a tracking shot means that sometimes a filmmaker can shift between multiple different framing choices foreign [Music] the iconic opening shot from Orson Welles Touch of Evil begins as a close-up immediately setting the stakes of the sequence a bomb is about to go off the shot then turns into a wide establishing the Border Town which will play a key role in the film eventually the camera moves in closer for a medium introducing us to the main characters name is Vargas hey Jim see who's here who's your arm Mr Vargas out on the trail of another dope ring not in the trail of a chocolate soda for my wife by the end of the sequence Wells has landed on several different compositions all in one shot do you realize I haven't kissed you in over an hour as the Touch of Evil scene illustrates camera angle 2 is an important consideration for a tracking shot [Music] in Minority Report Steven Spielberg uses an overhead angle to establish the geography of the action while also emphasizing how oppressed the citizens of this world are [Music] tracking shot is extremely dependent on two other key elements blocking and staging [Music] [Applause] [Music] tracking shots depend on movement of both characters and Camera so it should come as no surprise that blocking and staging are important considerations the decisions are as simple as whether the camera is in front of or behind the subject in The Shining Kubrick's trailing tracking shots create suspense as the audience anticipates what may lie around Each corner [Music] front the shot can give a character a sense of physical power as this shot does in The Social Network mark he's wired in sorry he's wired in is he yes how about now he's still wired in a shot which laterally tracks a character can heighten the spectacle of a scene allowing the viewer to watch action unfold from a more detached vantage point the speed of the movement can also conjure different moves quick tracking shot can Elevate the energy and Chaos of a scene as this shot in Saving Private Ryan illustrates in The Invisible Man a slower approach heightens tension [Music] for scenes with multiple subjects the blocking of characters is often intricate directors then use itrace in a tracking shot a technique which refers to drawing a viewer's eyes to a certain area in the frame foreign Boogie Nights for example Paul Thomas Anderson uses character's movement to Pivot from conversation to conversation look I have RI follows the walking subject until they lead us to a new subject I died and what do I have I got nothing this blocking with multiple moving Parts makes the party seem more lively there's a lot going on [Music] CE you've captured your tracking shot your work isn't over the shots impact will also depend on its editing and duration it's no secret that often the most famous tracking shots have long run times since the technical skill to pull a complex Runner off is impressive but a long shot should always have a purpose Beyond impressing film Buffs [Music] this elaborate tracking shot in The Adventures of Tintin which lasts over two minutes emphasizes all the Mayhem that a few slips of paper have wrought [Music] by not cutting Spielberg can follow multiple moving paths while keeping the viewer oriented within the geography of the scene tracking shots don't have to be so lengthy in Mission Impossible 2 John Wu opts for tracking shots that whisp by in the blink of an eye feet of the camera moves combined with their brevity creates an explosive energy throughout the scene foreign There Will Be Blood splits the difference this climactic scene Cuts between multiple tracking shots following multiple characters at once it's all hands on deck but the camera settles on plane view it's his rig and his son [Music] there's no single use for a tracking shot the technique can serve nearly any genre and any mood and can vary widely depending on how it is executed boy I bet you we could really have a good party in this room huh but no matter what a good tracking shot can further immerse your audience into a scene tracking shots require a lot of different moving parts start planning your next tracking shot with Studio binder's storyboard software and don't forget to subscribe to stay in the loop for more videos on filmmaking techniques until next time just keep trucking [Music]

Channel: StudioBinder

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Keywords: Tracking shot, tracking shot film, tracking shots in movies, tracking shot in film, tracking camera shot, tracking shots, camera movement, movie tracking shot, tracking shot example, cinematic camera movement, tracking shot studiobinder, dolly tracking shot, how to film a tracking shot, tracking shot cinematography, tracking shot example in film, how to do a tracking shot, camera movement tracking shot, tracking shot definition, tracking shot examples, studiobinder

Id: 6Kpr2MuKW0A

Length: 18min 0sec (1080 seconds)

Published: Mon May 29 2023