Movie Terms Wiki Genres

Pan Shot

A stationary camera swivels horizontally, mapping space or gesturing narrative surprise.


Mechanics and Aesthetics

Derived from “panorama,” a pan involves rotating the camera on its vertical axis while mounted on a tripod or fluid head. Slow pans establish landscapes; whip-pans create energetic transitions, as Edgar Wright employs for comedic rhythm.

Grammar in Editing

A pan can function like a cut, revealing new information within a continuous shot—Hitchcock’s Rear Window pans illustrate the entire apartment block’s micro-stories without montage.

Modern Variants

Robotic heads allow programmable speed curves, and 360-degree cameras enable digital reframing of pans in post, affording editors unprecedented latitude.


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