A tracking shot is a camera movement in which the camera physically travels through space to follow or accompany a subject, maintaining a consistent spatial relationship as both camera and subject move. The camera can move alongside, behind, in front of, or circling a subject - in any direction through space - rather than rotating on a fixed axis as a pan or tilt would. Tracking is a broad category that encompasses lateral tracking (sideways movement parallel to the subject), forward and backward dolly moves, and circular orbiting moves, all united by the physical travel of the camera through the environment.

In traditional production, tracking shots are achieved using wheeled dollies on laid tracks, motorized camera cars, Steadicam rigs worn by operators, or gimbals and drones for smoother or more dynamic movement. The technique is one of the most expressive camera tools available because it places the viewer physically in motion with the subject, creating a sense of participation and presence rather than observation from a fixed vantage point. Following a character from behind as they walk through a crowd creates identification; tracking ahead of them as they advance creates anticipation; circling them during a tense confrontation creates spatial unease. The specific quality of the tracking - smooth and deliberate, loose and handheld, rapid and urgent - communicates the emotional register of the scene as much as the subject content does.

When prompting AI video generation for tracking shots, describing the camera's spatial relationship to the subject and the direction of movement communicates the intended effect clearly. Phrases like "camera tracks alongside walking figure," "tracking shot following subject from behind through corridor," or "smooth tracking movement circling the subject" help generate footage with the characteristic shared-motion quality of this camera technique.