20 Coolest Tracking Shots In Movie History
Is there a better way to wield a camera?
The manner in which a director wields the camera reveals a lost about their filmmaking philosophy. On one end of the spectrum sits a filmmaker like Yasujiro Ozu, renowned for his static compositions; on the other sits Michael Bay, a filmmaker who insists on moving the camera wildly at every possible opportunity (or as he puts it himself, "F**king the frame.")
The elaborate tracking shot is one of the most effective - and difficult to achieve - types of camera move, and has become a hallmark for a number of great filmmakers. Insistently following its subject, it's a move which truly immerses the audience in the actions of a character, voyeuristically drawing them in to the action.
When this is combined with a long take or forms a sequence shot without cuts, the results can be astonishing, accentuating the tension and excitement of an action sequence or neatly encapsulating the world the movie is trying to establish and the characters within it.
From some of the greatest visual storytellers of all time, here are the 20 coolest tracking shots in movie history. Hold on to your hats.
20. Snake Eyes
Snake Eyes might not be Brian De Palma's best effort (at best it's a missed opportunity for an effective dark and twisted thriller, at worst a plain old s**tty movie) but there's no denying it has moments of visual flare and De Palma's trademark long tracking shots.
With Snake Eyes the tracking shot hits us at the beginning of the movie, introducing Nicolas Cage's character as he walks around a huge convention centre talking to a variety of characters. It's a beast of a shot running at over 12 minutes, a real endurance test for Steadicam operator Larry McConkey.