A swish pan is a rapid horizontal camera rotation that moves so fast the image blurs into an unrecognizable streak of motion during the pan itself, used as a transition device that cuts away from one scene and arrives at the beginning of another. Also called a whip pan, the swish pan is defined by the intentional motion blur created at speed, which disguises the cut point and creates a sense of kinetic energy or temporal connection between the two scenes it joins.

The technique is executed by panning the camera sharply and quickly from one subject to another, either within the same scene or as an edit point between two separate shots. The blur during the movement provides a natural visual transition that implies continuity or simultaneous action even when cutting between entirely different locations. In narrative filmmaking, a swish pan can suggest that two scenes are happening at the same time, or simply provide an energetic, dynamic transition that suits a particular tonal register. In documentary and news production, the swish pan has a naturalistic, observational quality. In comedy, it has been used extensively for quick comedic cutaways. The technique became particularly associated with 1960s and 1970s filmmaking but has remained in continuous use as a stylistic choice. It differs from a standard whip pan primarily in the degree of blur and the explicit use of the motion as an edit transition rather than simply a fast pan within a continuous shot.

When prompting AI video generation, "swish pan to the right," "whip pan transition," or "fast blurred pan to" describes this movement. The motion blur characteristic of the swish pan is an important detail to include in the prompt, as a fast pan without blur reads simply as a rapid camera rotation rather than a deliberate cinematic transition device.