Panning

Film has the great advantage of width: its wider aspect ratio captures landscape images in a way your video camcorder can only dream about. However, you can pivot the camera left or right to shoot that landscape and not disrupt the scene with too much motion. This side-to-side movement is called panning, and is a common tool in a director's box of shots. A similar shot, tilting, moves the camera up and down, though it's not used as frequently.

To pan a scene:

1. Set your camera up on a tripod for best results, or hold it as steady as you can.

2. Determine where the pan will begin and end.

3. Begin recording at the first point, and pivot the camera left or right at an even pace. If your camera is not mounted on a tripod, swivel your body steadily at the hips.

4. When you reach the end point of your pan, stop recording.

Pan ahead of subjects

A panning shot often follows a subject from one side of the screen to the other, but think of your composition as you do this. Don't just center the subject in the frame. Instead, provide space into which the person can walk by panning ahead of him (Figure 3.6).

Figure 3.6. Frame your shots so that subjects walk into the shot when panning, not out the edges.

Tips

• To help stabilize the camera while you're holding it, pull your elbows in close to your body, hold the camera with both hands, and keep a wide stance.

• If you're using a tripod, be sure to get a fluid-head tripod. It's more expensive than your standard unit, but allows for much smoother motion.

• As it turns out, the biggest problem with panning isn't moving the camera smoothly. Your top concern should be: is the horizon level? If the camera isn't exactly even with the horizon, panning will give the effect of moving uphill or downhill (Figure 3.7).

  Figure 3.7. It's either you or the camera the world just doesn't naturally tip like that.

  

• Panning doesn't have to involve rotating the camera around a central axis. Use a dolly setup (see "Dollying," earlier) to move the camera from side to side.