Tracking Shot: Research

 Tracking Shots

A tracking shot is when the camera follows a character, setting or movement. These shot according to The Tracking Shot in Film — Ultimate Guide. This article and others stated that most of these shots need a dolly to do most of the shots. With this post I will break down how I can do all of these without a dolly or any equipment. I will use this source as a base of the post: Handheld Versus Stabilized Shots — Pros, Cons, and Best Uses.

Steady Mode:

This mode is a way to make a handheld camera have smooth and stabilize the footage creating equilibrium to replicate a smooth dolly. This can be used in conjunction with type of movements. But it requires a large amount of light and lowers the quality of the film. I would like to look the most resent film I watch with steady cam: The shining

The Shining (1980)

This film was the one of the first to use the steady cam. With the shot establishing the location and feels calm, low to no tension, it is calm. This is the feeling we are trying to get with a few of the scenes but on a horizontal plain.

Hand Held:

This mode does have shacks and cracks allow for tension and dis-equilibrium. This can also allow for the audience to go into the mind of the main protagonist with the cinematography. But adds a low quality feeling to it. This can be seen in the original hunger games film.

Hunger Games (2008)

What will I chose?

For the most of the tracking shots they will consist of steady cam until the body is found then hand held.