How to Shoot People Walking

To make the perfect walking shots, certain rules, camera movements and shot must be taken into consideration.  

Tracking and Panning:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llLEXbcocuw

   Above is the link to one of four YouTube videos. The clip is titled "The Inbetweeners-Malia Strip". Due to the content of the scene (Which is primarily walking) I am unable to directly show the footage. However, the link will take you to the YouTube Page, no hassle.

   The scene starts with a long shot of the four characters walking. This enables all four characters to be within shot and also establish where they are. The seen is also slowed down ( with small, fast paced sections in between). Slowing the footage down creates a dramatic effect, as each movement is more prominent, bringing our focus upon the characters, against the busy, fast, party lifestyle of Malia. A series of mid shots are then created as three girls the is focused upon go past the characters. The mid shots, showing just the face and shoulders of two characters within the frame, clearly show their expressions, as well as a blurred Malia party background. Throughout, the characters are tracked backwards; a camera movement in which the camera follows or "tracks" the subject(s) at eye level, so the viewer continues moving with the subject. As this is to do with walking, this is an important movement in order to keep up! Another camera movement within the scene is side to side panning. This is when the camera is stationary but pans from left to right to establish more scenery that may be important to the plot, or possibly what the characters are looking at. In this case, at 0.37, there is a 360 degree pan from right to left, while still tracking backwards. This shows that a lot is going within the mise en scene, but also takes our focus of the characters, so as we come back, we witness their expressions to what we just followed.

Variety of Shots and Dissolve Transition:


   Another video, this time from Monsters Inc, shows the monsters walking in to start their jobs, with the protagonist centre front. This particular walking scene displays a dissolve transition effect, resulting in an extreme long shot, long shot and medium shot. Including a variety of shots is a key factor towards a good walking shot! A dissolve transition, which occurs on the beat of the music,is used in order to condense time. This means that we don't see the characters walking the full length, saving screen time while also introducing us to the characters, and their serious faces.

180 Degree Rule:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tJoIaXZ0rw

   Titled "500 Days of Summer - You Make My Dreams", for the same reason (content) as the first, I have provided the YouTube link.

   This scene from 00.00 to 0.37 displays the 180 degree rule. The rule states that characters within a scene, once it is established, should have the same left-right relationship, in order to maintain continuity and stop confusion. An imaginary line is drawn and an axis connects the left end to the right end. This is where the camera can film. Therefore, from the link above, whenever we see the male character, he should be walking from the left to the right, which he does. However, if the rule is broken, it is known as "crossing the line", in which the characters could be seen as looking in the same direction as each other, or walking in the opposite direction to as before. The image below should explain: