The Lateral Tracking Shot

A camera is mounted on a platform and moved along the rails.

The Lateral Tracking shot is described in the video to be one of the least subjective shots in cinema. It can be considered one of the most objective shots as it doesn't suggest any characters POV, and is very literal. It is one of the most widely used shots in cinema and is mainly used by filmmakers as an establishing move.The Lateral Tracking Shot continually preserves the depth of space that the camera captures, since it works with a lens of a fixed focal length. This results in a ,“gliding effect” in which the camera seems to float close to ground.


It is particularly effective in the film 'Wolf Children', where it lasts 57 seconds following the children as they grow up from first grade to fourth grade without any cuts'. In 'Saving Private Ryan' a lateral tracking shot is used to establish a war camp. This can be seen as very effective as it is able to show the vastness of the army. The lateral tracking shot can also be used for a variety of other things such as running, (used in The 400 blows), fighting (used in Old Boy) and comedy ( used in Toy story.) In the film 'The Shining' The narrator describes the lateral shot to be used to build a sense of dread, as it is used frequently throughout the film. Overall this shot can be considered very effective due to the vast amount of ways it can be used in, and the simplicity of the shot.

We are planning to use a lateral tracking shot in our Teaser Trailer as it is simple shot to do, and it can be used effectively in a variety of ways.