Tracking shots suggest the camera movements parallel to the ground, defined by our textbook on page 46. Generally, tracking shots are made by a camera that follows a person or an object as they move through the scene physically that are used by the filmmakers to engage the audience to the characters. When making a tracking shot, there are a variety of methods to follow the action of the characters such as the dolly track and other camera stabilization system. At the same time, some of us feel hard to distinguish a tracking shot and a zoom. According to the textbook, one way for us to identify that difference is through the width, height, and depth the forward tracking shot and zoom can create. By understanding the lectures and the examples, there are mainly three aspects of the tracking shots, including the location, the blocking, and production design. There also three key elements that examine what the visual effects of the tracking shots would be, including the speed (help create a certain depth to a scene), duration (examines how along a tracking shot lasts), and the stability. Stability is one of the interesting elements I feel important to the dramatic effects on the screen. For example, if the camera tracks the movements of the person or objects shakily, it might create a sense of excitement, thrilling, or troubled feeling.
Slow Motion – This shooting can be done without additional equipment. The frame rate is reduced. Slow motion allows you to show on the screen any process with higher speed. An example of this type of shooting is the process of turning a bud into a flower.
Accelerated shooting – Accelerated shooting is performed with a frequency higher than 24 frames per second. As a rule, it is used for a detailed study of any rapid process.
Shooting in invisible rays – If shooting in X-rays and ultraviolet rays is made exclusively for research purposes, then infrared rays, which are contained in large numbers in the solar spectrum, make it possible to show objects not as people see them, which is used by filmmakers to create interesting effects. .
Shooting in polarized light Such shooting is used when you need a good study of the details of the object, which interferes with glare. For shooting in polarized light, special polarization filters are used.
Underwater photography For underwater types of shooting requires special equipment. Of great interest are the properties of water as a scattering and refractive medium, which differ from the properties of air. Experts recommend making underwater surveys in sunny weather and close-ups, since even clean water contains a lot of suspended particles that absorb sunlight.
Micro and Macro – A microfilm is produced using a combination of a film camera and a microscope. The main area of application is scientific research. Macro shooting is called shooting an object from a close distance. It can be performed by any movie camera equipped with additional focusing equipment. Films from the life of insects and the same blooming flowers are made using macro photography.
Thank you for this definition! I really appreciate the thorough explanation in distinguishing a tracking shot and a zoom, since I also was confused in the beginning. In Ed Sikov’s Film Studies textbook, it was said that in “classical Hollywood filmmaking, crews used to mount actual tracks on the ceiling or the floor, thus ensuring that the camera would move in a smooth and precise fashion. Hence the term tracking shot” (26). Especially with your list of different types of tracking shots, I have begun to analyze every scene within a film and become much more hooked to the character in the shot and understand the director’s intent of the scene. An example I can think of, although this can be found in many films, is a scene in of Atonement (2007) where Robbie Turner and Cecilia Tallis are both walking towards the camera while an extra walked past the camera in the foreground, thus breaking up some action, creating depth. I have heard this technique is called performance blocking.
Hi Kim: thanks for your reply and I like your ways looking at the use of tracking shots in Atonement. Yes, it helps create both a sense of space and depth to push forward the story to the audience.
Hi Yiming:
I like the ways you define tracking shots. With varied types and degrees, tracking shots can create varied visual effects in the audience. From this post, I got more knowledge about the types of shooting and how each works to express their own stories.