Follow Shot
A shot that follows behind a walking character at the same speed. The character’s back is in the foreground, and the place they are heading comes closer beyond it. The viewer discovers the same thing at the same moment as the character. The opposite, walking backward in front of a character to show their face, is called a leading shot.
How it feels
- Anticipation
- Tension
- Companionship
- Discovery
- Pursuit
When to use it
- A character entering an unfamiliar building or club
- Trailing a character walking down a hallway or alley
- Giving the feel of a third-person video game view
- Leading shot: backing away in front of two people talking as they walk
In the movies
GoodFellas 1990
Directed by Martin Scorsese. A Steadicam follows two characters in through the back door of the Copacabana club.
Not to be confused with
- Tracking
- Broadly, both are tracking. CineBunny calls it tracking side by side, follow from behind, and leading when backing away in front.
- From Behind
- A shot from behind is a position held still; a follow shot moves along from that same position.
- Dolly In/Out
- A dolly moves toward or away from a standing character, so the distance changes. In follow and leading shots the character moves too, so the distance holds.
Prompt
follow shot from behind
Follow shot from behind. The camera trails the subject at shoulder height, keeping their pace; their back anchors the foreground and the route ahead is readable past them.
Try these combinations
Follow shot + Steadicam: through the club’s back door
Steadicam follow shot from behind as a man walks through the back door of a busy nightclub kitchen
Leading shot (walk and talk): talking while walking
Reverse tracking walk-and-talk, two coworkers walking toward the camera through an office, medium shot