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WHIP PAN DEFINITION
What is a Whip Pan Shot?
A whip pan shot (also referred to as a swish pan, whip pan transition, or pan whip transition) is one of many variations of the pan shot, a technique where the camera is locked down in one spot, typically on a tripod, and then swivels horizontally, left or right. A whip pan is simply a pan shot that pans quickly. It draws the audience’s attention from one point of interest in a scene to the next with rapid precision, creating a blur effect through its fast paced movement.
To dive even further into the ins and outs of this technique, check out our full guide on whip pan movements, featuring examples and breakdowns.
WHIP PANNING MEANINGS
Whip Pan Examples
Before we get in-depth with what a whip pan effect can do for a scene, it’s helpful to ease in with some straight-forward visual examples. Browse the below curated selection of whip pan shots for a general sense of their application.
Transitions between scenes
Accentuates tone & pace
Creates disorientation
Heightens comedic effect
Usages
What does a whip pan shot do?
A whip pan transition can add an exciting energy to a scene through its breakneck speed. Whereas a basic pan shot might add slower tension to a moment, a whip pan offers a sense of urgency and action, keeping the audience immersed through abrupt shifts in attention from one point to the next. Take a look at some engaging applications of the whip pan shot below.
Disorientation
If two powerful characters are duking it out in an action scene, and one character goes flying in another direction after being punched, the sudden blur and crank from a whip pan can make the audience feel as though they’re in the fight.
Stimulation
To match the energy of a character that may have ingested one too many stimulants, the camera can match their heightened energy by jarringly whipping from a wide shot to a close up shot.
Perspective Shift
If a scene and its characters are moving fast, and the script suddenly calls for a flashback, a whip pan can transition the story from the present to the past with tonal intensity still intact.
Cause & Effect
If character A throws a knife at character B, the camera shows character A throwing the knife, then whip pans to character B with the knife stuck inside them.
Clarification
Whip pan shot vs Whip pan match cut
A whip pan and a whip pan match cut refer to the exact same camera technique, the only difference between the two terms is how they’re created.
A whip pan match cut refers to a whip pan that isn’t achieved practically on set. Instead, it’s created during post-production, with the editor taking footage from one shot that ends with a whip pan and motion blur away from point A, and cutting it seamlessly with another shot that begins with a motion blur and whip pan ending on point B.
Studying the Edgar Wright Whip Pan
Shot listing the whip pan shot
Now, let’s take a look at how one of the most celebrated whip pan shot utilizers in the business, Edgar Wright, implemented the whip pan camera movement in his 2007 film, Hot Fuzz.
Click the shot list below to get a closer look at the entire scene, and ask yourself, how much comedic spirit would be lost if Wright didn’t apply this technique to this scene?
As you can see, the whip pan shot is a stunning visual accessory that can really define a scene’s energy.
Now let’s see what happens when other types of shots are fused together with the whip pan shot.
Unique combos
How can you pair a whip pan shot with other camera movements?
How to combine a whip pan shot
Whip pan transitions are highly effective tools in their own right, but when linked together with different cinematic techniques, the results can be downright profound. Here are just a handful of examples on how the whip pan effect can be combined with alternate filmmaking approaches.
- Tracking: Combining the environmental movement of a tracking shot with the whip pan shot can add a kinetic sense of chaos to an action scene.
- Tilt: Tilting the camera while whip panning can emphasize power dynamics between subjects by tilting from low to high (or vice versa).
- Zoom: Whip panning that ends on a rapid zoom into a character can heightened the drama of a scene.
- POV: With the audience immersed in a character’s perspective, a whip pan can impart the feeling of urgently needing to see what the character is turning to see.
- Rack Focus: Following a sudden whip pan, a focus shift can emphasize the need to look at the foreground or background of the shot.
Frequently asked questions about whip pan shots
Use a whip pan shot when you want to:
Add a burst of energy to a scene
Disorient the audience
Play up the comedy of a gag
The purpose is to add a sense of excitement and energy that wouldn’t be conveyed through any normal shot transition.
This depends on two factors: creative intent and budget. Whether you’re editing in post to create the feeling of a whip pan, or performing the whip pan practically on set, you’ll want to choose based on the type of creativity the scene calls for. If it’s a question of budget, then the least expensive choice will have to suffice.
A pan shot is short for a panorama shot, which is an uninterrupted view of an entire surrounding. The ‘whip’ is there to allude to how quick the camera turn is, moving fast and/or unexpectedly in one direction.
