Tracking Shot (Follow shot, Aerial tracking)
If your subject is on the move and you want the viewer to glide along with them, go Tracking Shot.
A tracking shot involves the camera physically moving through space to follow the subject. In AI video prompts, it results in a continuous perspective that keeps the subject centered while the background shifts naturally with parallax. It's a go-to for action, emotional pacing, and immersive sequences—whether ground-based, aerial, or even underwater.
Classic Example: The long hallway follow in The Shining, or the battlefield run in 1917. In AI video, this could mean following a character through a cyberpunk alley or soaring beside a dragon over mountains.
In AI video, "tracking shot" and "follow shot" tend to yield identical results unless specified with "from above" or "side view".
Subject & Background Behaviour
Subject: travels and often stays centered or slightly off-center
Background: shifts naturally with perspective; shows parallax and depth
Don’t-Confuse-With
Pan → rotates the camera but doesn't translate it; background moves, but perspective doesn't shift
Zoom → no camera movement, only lens adjustment; results in size change, not spatial movement
Orbit → rotates around the subject; tracking follows alongside
| Movement Type | translation |
|---|---|
| Axis/Direction | varied |
| Related Movements | dolly in dolly left dynamic tracking shot |
| Used in Contexts | reveal, action, suspense, emotional, narrative emphasis |
| Motion Styles | cinematic, dramatic, immersive |
Tracking Shot Prompt Examples
Grannie riding cats
excited granny rides a chariot pulled by the strong healthy cats. high motion, speed, motion blur, dust rising from the road, another elderly cat chariot rider competing with her, seen blurred out in the back to the side of her, a policeman comically running around waving at them to stop seen briefly as the chariots race forward
Realistic woman in anime scene
Camera tracks a realistic tanned blonde woman in white top and denim shorts walking forward in an anime-style illustration environment. Little white bird is flying near the subtly moving white clouds, soft breeze billowing the plants and tree leaves. The woman looking around curiously as if wondering how did she get here as she continues walking graciously forward