tracking shot

Noun

tracking shot (plural tracking shots)

1. A continuously recorded segment containing no edits, in which the camera is moved (often mounted on a dolly rolling on tracks) so as to sweep through an extensive area or to follow the physical movement of characters or events.
   • A long, late-night tracking shot from one end of the Neon Boot bar to another actually tracks along the surface of the bar itself—and when there is a drunk passed out on the bar, the camera simply lifts up and flies over him, then continues on its route.1984 October 12, Janet Maslin, “Blood Simple, A black-comic romp”, in New York Times, retrieved 09 Jul 2012
   • In a long tracking shot at the start of the film, a feral cat prowls this wasteland until it is felled by a slow-motion arrow.2010 January 25, Richard Corliss, “American Savior: Denzel Washington in Book of Eli”, in Time

   Synonyms:

   trucking shot