Laboratory 101 takes a look at some of the more memorable tracking shots in movie history. My favorite is among them. Arguably the best opening scene in recent movie history, shot with one camera all the way through (I mean, the rehearsals must have taken days just to get the choreography down), check out the first three minutes of "Boogie Nights"...
The classic pool scene from the film (also done with one steadicam tracking shot) can be seen here.
Moving a bit outside of Laboratory 101's study, another great opening shot is from 2006's "Poseidon." The visual effects team on this film are credited with creating some superb effects that paved the way for such films as "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." Done in "steadicam style" and accompanied by an amazing musical score by Klaus Badelt, every single thing in the "Poseidon" opening shot (with the exception of Josh Lucas, who was filmed jogging in front of a green screen at the Sepulveda Dam in L.A.) is computer-generated...the water, the boat, the clouds, the sun, the background passengers, the flags on the railings. It's an amazing feat of computer generated imaging! The ship and the water are so life-like one can only assume that the ILM crew lost that year's Academy Award for Best Visual Effects simply because the story was lame and the film barely broke even at the box office.
In any event, give the opening shot a look. You'll swear it was filmed on the open ocean with a real cruise ship...
