What types of information can a wide shot give the viewer?

A wide shot can show the viewer who is in the scene, where the scene is set and when the scene takes place.

What is a wide shot?

A wide shot is a shot that shows the subject or person in the shot within their surroundings. This is usually filmed with a wide angle lens and can be filmed from multiple angles depending on what you want the viewers to see.

Tracking shot: 1917

This shot shows the viewers how determined the character is to reach his goal. Even with bombs exploding around him and men running into him he carries on running. The speed of the camera picks ups as the character starts moving making the viewers feel as if they are running with him. You want to be off that field just as much as he does. It also emphasises how alone the character is in that scene his is the only one running in that direction, literally everyone else in that scene is running in a different direction.

Tracking shot: The Shining

In this shot the camera is low which allows us to feel as if we are at the same level as the character in the scene. As he turns each corner so do we neither him or the viewers knowing what will be there. The viewers knew they were going into a horror film this tracking shot makes the viewers nervous and uneasy. It’s too quiet and too peaceful. When he turns the corner what is going to be there?

Tracking shot: Baby Driver

This tracking shot shows us the personality of the main character. It shows us the way he acts and even shows us someone he is potentially interested in. This shot was clearly intended to allow us to better understand the main character and feel close to him almost as if we actually know him.

How does the viewer feel when watching a tracking shot?

A tracking shot allows the viewer to feel closer to the character they see on screen as they are able to see there personality an who they are as they follow them throughout the scene. Many aspects such as speed can also change how the viewer feels such as making a tracking shot fast can make it feel energetic to the viewers and in some cases leave them out of breath by the time it has finished.

Why would a filmmaker use a tracking shot?

Filmmakers tend to use tracking shots in order to follow a subject in that scene. The viewers will be following every movement the subject makes this could be a person or even a vehicle. If done well it can be fascinating for the viewers as they are following the characters through multiple setting experiencing it with them.

What equipment do you need to film a tracking shot?

In Cinema they tend to use a camera dolly, which allows the camera to move along the track and keeps it in a stable position, and a track for the camera dolly to move along when following the subject in the shot. They will also used a steady cam which is handheld.

What is a tracking shot?

A tracking shot is when the camera is mounted on a camera dolly which is then placed on a track. The camera is then pushed along the track usually following the subject of that shot.

Establishing shot: Sicario

This shot shows us a quiet domestic area. Just a normal housing estate. This is then interrupted by a soldier in full black which contrasts the background and the area surrounding him. This could show how the soldiers don’t belong and how they are not on common ground with their enemy. They shouldn’t be there. More soldiers follow on showing the viewer that this is potentially going to become some sort of battle or large scale conflict. The sniper shown as the camera pans left shows the viewer the fact that this is no normal police operation. They have done all they can to prepare. All of this still going on in a small, peaceful domestic area. This makes the viewer wonder why they have gone to so much trouble for one house that looks, being honest, very normal.