A Cinematography trope. A Pursued Protagonist is being chased up (less often, down) a stairwell. As they run up the camera "floats" upwards and we see the hero and his adversaries as they spiral upwards, or may well descend to show all the pursuers. The hero and the pursuers will look up and down at each other at least once before setting off running. See also Camera Chase. As the hero is likely to "tree" himself at the top of the stairs, see also Climbing Climax. Examples of Stairwell Chase include: