Watch the beginning of this clip carefully!
In the very beginning of the clip above, you see an establishing shot of a ninja in the background, a samurai in the middleground and another ninja in the foreground. Through the use of the animetion technique known as panning, static images seemingly animate in a way that not only establishes the scene but adds tension as everything moves towards the center.
Also notice how objects in closest to the viewer in the foreground (such as the grass and the ninja sitting on the rock) move faster than those in the midground (like the samurai and standing ninja) and that objects in the far most background like the sky and trees) move fast again. This is a simulation of the perceptual phenomena known as
parallax
and is used to give a 3D feel to 2D images.
Panning shots are often used for the establishing shot, for setting the scene, but can be used anywhere. To use such shots effectively, remember which way the panning is moving from scene to scene so as to not disorient the viewer. Also, use panning shots to your advantage, like building up suspence by revealing something important at the end of the pan or showing motion, like how the camera pans up to follow the ninja's leap in the scene above.