Tracking Shots

Focuses on the object(s) in the frame whilst the background goes by...in the case of car chases/car journeys - quite fast. Tracking can also be about moving toward, away from or around a scene or object. Called tracking because it usually is shot by placing a camera unit on a trolley that runs on rails, a tracking shot could be filmed using a steadicam or crane on a truck...The best way to look for a tracking shot is to think of how it focuses rather than how it is physically shot.

The opposite to a tracking shot is a pan.

LONG TRACKING SHOT - first long track, Orson Welles - tracking on a lorry/crane rig

'Touch of Evil' 1958

The more modern camera will move more and generally switch around frequently. The direction can be changed although the 180˚ rule is still rarely broken. The Fast and the Furious (the original movie) has lots of examples of clear tracking shots but in the following example, the camera switches across the line, showing just how technical camera work is becoming...

 

In this trailer, you can see a mix of various camera movements - look for tracking, pans and crane shots amongst others

Godzilla Teaser Trailer

In this final example, the tracking moves across a landscape and no particular object or scene is in focus. The way to distinguish a track from a pan in this case is to think about a PAN SHOT itself - the camera point stays fixed in place and the camera swings around in an arc or part arc.

'The Mummy' 1999