The tracking shot is one of the most immersive
camera 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".
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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 so pan or tilt
even if following a character does not count.
"- 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'.
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.
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.
It should come as no surprise then that a
dolly tracking shot is a Wes Anderson favorite.
In this scene from "The French Dispatch",
Anderson uses a tracking shot to follow Roebuck
and to establish the inner workings of the police station.
- "Police cooking" began with the stake-out picnic and paddy-wagon snack,
but has 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."
Putting the camera on a crane meanwhile
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."
- In more recent years, filmmakers have also begun using drones
in place of cranes allowing for even more extreme versatility.
But sometimes smooth movement isn't the objective.
A handheld tracking shot can Infuse energy
into a scene as "Children of Men" illustrates.
Director Alfonso Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's
use of handheld creates a gritty realism making
conflict look reminiscent of real war footage.
Handheld isn't just for action set pieces.
French New Way pioneer Jean-Luc Godard
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 Raoul Coutard sat in a wheelchair
while Goddard himself rolled him backwards.
A tracking shot can also vary based on lens choice.
A telephoto 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.
Depth of field too 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.
A tracking shot'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.
In this shot from "Tar",
a medium close-up allows us to watch the complex shifting emotions on Lydia's face.
But medium 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.
"- It was a foot massage. A foot massage is nothin'. I give my mother a foot massage."
- This medium shot in "Magnolia", allows us to focus on multiple characters
while also getting past from subject to subject.
"- There you are. There you are. - I'm sorry we're late, Cynthia.
- Oh, that's all right. - We got caught in traffic."
- By doing so the shot evokes the busyness backstage.
"- Know anybody involved in that Alan Thicke thing?
The Corey Haim thing? Terrorist in the high school?"
- A wide tracking shot can emphasize the setting the subjects are moving through.
It's particularly useful for establishing massive sets
like the Day of the Dead parade in 'Spectre'.
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.
The iconic opening shot from Orson Welles's "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.
"- The name is Vargas.
- Hey, Jim. See who's here?
- Sure, Mr. Vargas.
-Out on the trail of another dope ring?
- On 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 too is an important consideration for a tracking shot.
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.
Of course, framing in a tracking shot is extremely dependent on two other key elements
blocking and staging.
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.
From the front the shot can give a character a sense of physical power
as this shot does in "The Social Network".
"- Mark.
- Mark! - He's wired in!
- Sorry. -He's wired in.
- Is he? - Yes.
How about now? You're 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.
A 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.
For scenes with multiple subjects, the blocking of characters is often intricate.
Directors then use eye trace in a tracking shot.
A technique which refers to drawing a viewer's eyes to a certain area in the frame.
In this extended sequence from "Boogie Nights", for example,
Paul Thomas Anderson uses character's movement
to pivot from conversation to conversation.
"- I have a look, okay? The look l have is just fine.
- What's your look? - Chocolate love, all right?"
- Our eye follows the walking subject until they lead us to a new subject.
"- But you see, Miss Amber, l'm just this poor fellow from Puerto Rico, you know?
I got this club. Yeah, that's one thing.
But soon that goes, l die, then what do l have? I got nothing."
- This blocking with multiple moving parts
makes the party seem more lively.
There's a lot going on.
Once you've captured your tracking shot your work isn't over.
The shot's 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 one-off is impressive.
But a long shot should always have a purpose beyond impressing film buffs.
"- Incoming falcon at four o'clock!"
- 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.
"- Tintin, faster!
- The scrolls! - I got one, two...
- And three!"
- 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.
A speed of the camera moves combined with their brevity
creates an explosive energy throughout the scene.
"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 Plainview.
It's his rig and his son.
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, hon?"
- 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 StudioBinder's storyboard software.
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Until next time. Just keep tracking.