Camera Moves - Techniques and pointers

(This blog was composed with help from 'the guardian guide to making film')

Pan
A pan is a horizontal camera pivot from a stationary position from left to right or vice versa. this movement enables you to follow a subject or to show the distance between two objects. when panning, face the middle of the pan with your feet firmly planted on the ground. from there, twist your upper body towards the start of the pan, through centre, and end with your upper body twisted toward the end of the pan. Always start on a still shot and end on a still shot.
A whip pan is a sped up version of the pan that creates a blur effect, this can be used to convey the passage of time, or simply to frame rapid action as it occurs.

Tracking is lateral camcorder movement that parallels a moving subject. Professionals achieve this using a track on which a wheeled "dolly" is placed.