Crash In

Crash in: a forceful maneuver that renders an extreme response to something.

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The Effect
Crashing in is a profound use of motion where both the artist and the camera move toward one another in a strong, singular vector. This collision of two opposing forces can elicit a strong emotional response such as shock, fear or awe or fear. Three primary uses of this effect are:

1. Surprise: The artists encounter something overpowering that stops them dead in their tracks
2. Confrontation: Two opposing forces come head to head in a showdown, a battle of wills
3. Fusion: Two forces gravitate to one another in an intense union
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Execution
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In this particular scene I'll be using Jame's Cameron's Aliens as an example of a confrontational 'crashing in'. Ripley is trying to protect Newt, (a young girl whom she has taken into her care), from a Mother Alien which threatens to kill her and the surviving crew.
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Part A: Crash in, full shot to full close up!

The actress enters the landing dock clad in a mechanised body-suit. 20 ft of track is laid down directly in front of her. On action she walks several toward the camera (around 10 ft) while the camera rushes across 20 ft of track toward her. With the addition of two forces moving toward one another it appears as though the actress is accelerating toward us. In the above image she moves from a full shot to a close up in a matter of seconds! 
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Part B: Static, Close up 
We cut from a close up of the actress to a close up of the Aliens maw as it  lets out a guttural hiss. It is quite literally a face off!


Motion / Emotion
The motion of two opposing forces coming together (camera and artist) creating a visual collision. It appears quite threatening and forceful eliciting an aggressive feeling from the audience. It mimics the human action of stepping aggressively into another persons face as though to goad them into a fight. 
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When the camera tracks and stops on her close up it helps to punctuate her following line "get away from her you BITCH!" This effect is often used to intensify dialogue and give it more punch, especially in a confrontational scene. 
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Chase Scene

A chase scene is a dynamic event that requires a lot of motion shots to capture the action. In this example I'll be outlining two aesthetics that create both tension and panic from the audience.

THE SCENE                                                                    

A woman runs frantically down a narrow corridor. As she reaches a cell door she looks back to see her assailant advancing toward her. She fumbles at the lock in a state of panic as the he pulls his gun and fires upon her!

EXECUTION - SET-UP 1   

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The camera is handheld throughout set-up 1. The DOP begins facing the victim's back as she prepares to run. On action both the camera operator and the woman race up the corridor. The handheld motion causes the camera to shake up and down, imitating the frantic movement of the woman. 

EXECUTION - SET-UP 2 

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The dolly is positioned on a track down the center of the corridor, the camera facing the actor head on. On action both the gunman and the dolly begin to run down the corridor - the dolly begins tracking with him slowly but forcefully. As he nears the cell door he opens fire with his gun.

SHOT 1A: HANDHELD

The handheld shot is wild and frenetic, arousing a flustered response from the audience. It is as though they are caught up in the panic of the protagonist as she races up the corridor. 

SHOT 2A: TRACKING SHOT

The tracking shot, on the other hand, is strong and steady - its controlled speed makes the gunman seem single minded and intensely focused. This makes his pursuit seem all the more relentless and menacing. 



SHOT 1B: HANDHELD

The woman reaches the door and tries to open it. Being handheld, the camera is still buoyant and unsteady adding a restlessness to the scene. It's as though we are willing her to "hurry up!"  

SHOT 2B: TRACKING SHOT

As the dolly slows on the track, the gunman closes in on the camera. It feels as if he is speeding up toward us and the heroine. This dramatic surge ramps up the tension of the scene.

SHOT 3A: HANDHELD
Just in time we see the woman swing the door open and dive through as the gunman comes into the shot and lurches at her! She snaps the key in the door and makes her escape.
SHOT 3B: TRACKING SHOT
The gunman fires his gun but it ricochets off the bullet proof glass on the cell door. End scene. 

Additional motion effect

The juxtaposition of two forces moving in the same direction creates a sense of urgency and intensifies the action. It is as though two forces are on a trajectory for a head on collision! This is a very powerful tool to use when you want the chase scene to provoke feelings of stress and panic.
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Push & Expand

The push and expand maneuver uses a combination of tracking and staging to create a dramatic exit. 

THE EFFECT

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The audience follow the actor as he walks off - but he pulls away at a greater speed. It is as though they are unwilling for us to keep up. This distancing of actor and audience creates a sense of isolation and abandonment.

EXECUTION
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The dolly has been set up on a short track directly behind them (in this case 20ft). Two actors are positioned at the front of the track. On action they begin to walk down the beach toward the desolate seascape. 
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As the actors move forward, the dolly pushes off slowly, allowing the artists to walk faster than you are tracking. By the end of the shot they should be a considerable distance away from the camera (in this case the dolly moved 20ft, the artists 40ft, meaning they made a 20ft gain). 

As you can see in the shot above, the camera has moved forward to tighten up against the images in the     mid-ground - but the actors have moved a considerable distance away. It is as though they are becoming more isolated and alone in this desolate landscape. 

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It is a useful shot to use when the drama of a scene focuses on the actors becoming withdrawn and alienated. What makes this shot so effective is its mimetic quality. As the audience try to remain with the actor they themselves are forsaken, emulating feelings of isolation and rejection.

Counter Tracking

Counter Tracking is an alternative to tracking with action. Instead of following the direction an artist takes, you track against them to create a more dynamic and forceful image.


EXECUTION
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When staging a running scene, many directors set up a tracking shot to follow the artists trajectory. That's a legitimate choice, but there is another option that allows you to ramp up the speed and add more tension to the shot. It's called counter tracking and it works like this; you set up your track parallel to the artists line of action. However, instead of following the artists trajectory with the dolly, you start at the other end of the track and run against them. 

THE EFFECT
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This creates two dynamic effects:


1. Acceleration: the speed of the artist plus the speed of the dolly Doubles the overall velocity of the action. This makes the running scene feel more urgent and forceful.
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2. Tension: the opposing directions create a sense of visual friction. This elicits a feeling of conflict and discordance in the scene.
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Counter tracking works well in chase scenes or when a character is racing against the clock. It doesn't work so well when the character is just going for a jog or involved in a practical activity.
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If you want to keep up to date with my articles on motion photography, then follow my blog via email or join as a member using the options in the upper right hand column. 
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Thanks for reading.