Home
The size of a shot plays a vital role in each scene of a film. Based on the size of the shot, a filmmaker can shift the attention of the viewer toward what is important in the scene.
This storytelling device is a powerful tool to move the story forward in the way the filmmaker intends. Let’s see how many variations a filmmaker has at their disposal and how they affect the flow of your story.
Shot sizes can be broken into three main categories wide, medium and close.
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
A wide shot (aka long shot or full shot) is a shot that shows the subject within their surrounding environment. A wide shot tells the viewer who is in the scene, where the scene is set, and when the scene takes place. Wide shots allow actors to utilize their physicality and give filmmakers a lot of space in which to work.
Different Types of Wide Shots
The filmmakers will choose a wide-angle lens for a wide shot, which is able to capture all the action from far away. Of all the types of camera shots, the wide shot most closely captures the feeling of watching a play on stage, because it shows the complete picture of an actor and their surroundings. Wide shots are an integral part of the filmmaking process and are a common shot found on many shot lists. There are three main wide shots to know:
• Extreme wide shot (EWS): Filmed from so far away that the audience can no longer see the actor. The context of an extreme wide shot may indicate that the character(s) are somewhere in the scene, however. Extreme wide shots are often used as establishing shots.
• Wide shot (WS): The entire subject appears in the shot, along with some of the surrounding environment. A wide shot is filmed close enough to emphasize the actor, but far enough away to show the actor’s location. You can see their whole body within the frame, with enough space surrounding them to indicate the setting.
• Full shot (FS): Like wide shots, full shots are all about showing the main character, but this time there is more focus on the main character, and the scenery is there as a complementary tool to further describe the character and set the mood of the scene. In a full shot, you can see the character from head to toe, and since they are the main focus of the scene, they are closer to the camera and can almost fill the frame.
Reasons to use Wide Shots:
• To show the audience how a character relates to their surroundings. An actor’s placement within their environment informs the audience of where they are, who’s with them, and, depending on the camera angle, can indicate power dynamics between characters.
• To share a lot of detail quickly. A wide shot shows details about the world of a scene, like the location and time period.
• To explore a landscape. Whether it’s an empty desert on a sweltering day or a futuristic world, a wide shot immerses the audience into the film’s setting.
How to achieve a wide shot:
• Move the camera further away from the subject. This may seem obvious but to achieve a wide shot the camera must be at a distance from the subject.
• Use a wider lens. This will be covered in more depth later, but a wider lens such as a 16mm will help achieve a wide shot.
A wide shot that has a lot of moving parts and requires advance planning:
• Scout the right location. Whether shot on a sound stage or on-location, finding the right place and making sure the filmmaker secures the necessary permits takes time and should happen well in advance of the shoot day.
• Figure out the camera lenses and camera movement. The camera needs a wide focal length (at least 35mm) to be able to see a lot of the location in the shot, but also shouldn’t accidentally reveal any of the cast and crew in the frame.
• Have the proper camera equipment. For a more complex wide shot, the filmmaker may call for additional equipment. For example, if the shot zooms out into a wide shot to an extreme wide shot, that could require a dolly, crane, or drone.
• Make a lighting plan. When filming on location, the gaffer needs to take the weather and the position of the sun into account for the shooting schedule. Knowing this information ahead of time—and knowing how to light the scene manually in case the weather isn’t as expected—is key to a successful wide shot.
• Determine the blocking. Wide shots may include anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred extras. Making sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to do and where they’re supposed to stand saves time on set.
How Is a Full Shot Different From a Wide Shot?
The terms full shot and wide shot are commonly, but mistakenly interchanged. And for good reason. A full shot is a type of wide shot. However, not all wide shots are a full shots.
Full shots are defined by the framing of a character from head to toe from the bottom of the frame to the top of the frame. Wide shots, however, frame characters with more space around them to capture more of their context and setting.
Understanding the difference between the term “full” and “wide” is important because it allows filmmakers to be more specific when communicating visual ideas
Reasons to use full shot:
• To show the audience a character's full body. A character’s posture, wardrobe, and movement can all reflect who that character is perhaps better than any dialogue could.
• To give context to a character's surroundings. The full shot is wide enough to show a character’s full body while also showing their context. This allows the audience to make a connection between the character, the context, and the story.
• Allows the audience to see the character's body language. A conversation between two characters is not only the dialogue being spoken, but their body language as well. Body language can be subtle but can add a good deal of information in dialogue scenes.
A medium shot is a type of camera shot that starts to cut parts of the subject off. A medium shot is used to emphasize both the actor and their surroundings by giving them an equal presence on screen. You can use a medium shot to clearly show the actor’s face and emotions while still informing the audience of what’s going on in the world around them.
Different Types of Medium Shots:
• Medium wide shot: somewhere between a medium shot and a full shot, showing the subject from the knees up. Also called a ¾ shot.
• Cowboy shot: showing the subject from the mid-thigh up. Known as the cowboy as it allows for the holster to be on display.
• Medium shot: somewhere between a close-up and a wide shot, showing the subject from the waist up while revealing some of the surrounding environment.
• Medium close-up shot: somewhere between a close-up shot and a medium shot, showing the subject from the chest or shoulders up and not revealing a lot of the surrounding environment.
Reasons to use medium shots:
• To simultaneously capture both details and scope. Medium shots highlight character details and the setting at the same time. Medium shots show the actor while still presenting them within the context of their world.
• To capture multiple actors at once. The medium camera distance lends itself to capturing a group of actors. A medium shot is especially useful when filming dialogue because it’s cropped far enough away to include multiple people but cropped closely enough to reveal the actors’ reactions to a conversation.
• To enhance body language. A wide shot is too far to detect subtleties in body language, and a close-up cut it off completely. A medium shot is an ideal distance to capture an actor’s subtle physicality choices.
• To transition back to another type of shot. Cutting from wide shots to extreme close-up shots without an intermediary shot is jarring to the audience. A medium shot acts as a stepping stone between shot types and allows for smoother transitions.
• Commonly used in dialogue sequences. As it can emphasise character expressions while removing distracting from the background environment.
A close-up shot is a type of camera shot size in a film that adds emotion to a scene. It tightly frames an actor’s face, making their reaction the main focus of the frame. A filmmaker can use a close-up with a long lens at a close range. This allows the actor to establish a strong emotional connection with the audience, and the audience to intimately see details in the subject’s face they wouldn’t see otherwise in a wide shot, long shot, or full shot.
Different Types of Close-up Shots:
• Close-up shot: frames the head, neck, and sometimes the shoulders of the subject.
• Extreme close-up shot: a more intense version of the close-up, usually showing only the subject’s eyes or another part of their face.
• Insert shot: a close-up that focuses on a specific object, prop, or detail, signaling to the audience that it’s important.
How to achieve a close-up shot:
• Move the camera closer to the subject. Get the camera up close and personal to the actor it is not uncommon to be centimetres away from the actor.
• Use a longer lens. This will be covered in more depth later, but a longer lens such as a 105mm will help achieve a close-up shot.
Reasons to use a Close-Up Shot:
• To convey emotion. A close-up is an emotional moment that draws in the audience and portrays a character’s innermost feelings. This makes the viewer feel like they’re part of the action.
• To play up a character’s subtleties. A close-up allows small details like a smirk, eye roll, or eyebrow raise to effectively tell the story.
• To change the storytelling pace. Cutting to a close-up shows a character’s reaction to someone or something, which signals how they feel and foreshadows what course they may follow next.
• To tell the audience someone or something is important. Close-ups draw the audience’s attention to the main characters and communicate the importance of their presence, reactions, and/or behavior. They can also draw attention to specific objects that add context, drive the narrative, and help the audience better understand the story.
• To relate the story back to the viewers. When done well, close-ups help viewers understand the world from a character’s point of view by showing how the action affects them and what they’re feeling in the current moment
In film-making an establishing shot lets the viewer know the setting for the scene they’re about to watch. Setting includes place and often time—both time of day and potentially time in history. (Are there horses and buggies rolling around the streets? Or are there spaceships flying around in the background?)
How Is a Wide Shot Different From an Establishing Shot?
A wide shot is a shot size, while an establishing shot is a technique. Wide shots refer to the distance between the camera and the subject; establishing shots appear at the start of a film or at the beginning of a new scene to establish where and when the action takes place. An establishing shot can be a wide shot, but wide shots are not always establishing shots.
How Are Establishing Shots Different From Other Shots in a Film?
Technically speaking, an establishing shot is usually a wide shot (also called a long shot), an extreme long shot, or an aerial shot that shows a lot of the setting for context. Establishing shots are unlike other shots in a movie for a few different reasons:
• Establishing shots are usually only a few seconds long. Establishing shots set the stage for what’s about to happen. Thus, they don’t need to be longer than a few seconds.
• Establishing shots usually don’t include the characters. Most establishing shots focus on the setting in which the action takes place, not the characters.
• Establishing shots don’t include dialogue. Instead, they have accompanying music or sound effects.
• Establishing shots don’t evoke a lot of emotion. They might set up what emotion or mood the audience is about to see, but they’re more functional than emotionally expressive.
What Purpose Do Establishing Shots Serve?
Establishing shots can serve multiple purposes in a film, and there’s no one “right” way to shoot them. Most establishing shots help a director achieve one or several of the following:
• Transition to a new scene: An establishing shot sends a clear message that a new scene is starting.
• Reveal or clarify the scene’s location: Showing a recognizable landmark tells the audience where the story or the next scene is set. For example, the Empire State Building indicates the next scene takes place in New York City, or Big Ben indicates that it takes place in London. Establishing shots are especially helpful if the story jumps around from city to city.
• Ground the scene in time: Most establishing shots include a specific time of day. For example, a shot of the sun rising at the beach tells the audience that the next scene takes place on or near the ocean early in the morning.
• Give supporting details: The use of an establishing shot can also give the audience supporting details they might not have known about a setting otherwise. For example, in the Star Wars films, establishing shots reveal what different planets look like, what futuristic cities look like, and the different aircraft on which people travel through space.
• Underscore elements of the story. Establishing shots can be helpful if the details of the time or place are important to the story. In a movie about a star athlete, a training scene introduced by an establishing shot of the sunrise helps convey that the main character is committed to their training.
• Introduce a concept: An establishing shot can also introduce a concept or overall theme. For example, an opening shot of ballerinas pirouetting in a dance studio establishes a ballet theme.
Establishing shots are not always necessary, but when used well, they can help the filmmaker tell a more complete and coherent story.
A really great master shot will elevate your material, and it will give you more options in the edit, but let's first begin by defining what a master shot really means in modern, narrative filmmaking.
What is a master shot?
A master shot is the continuous filming of a scene, in its entirety, that captures all of the necessary information in the scene. That’s because the purpose of the master shot is to cover an entire scene so that the filmmaker can have, at the very least, one shot that can eliminate possible gaps in your edit.
Some master shot definitions insist that every piece of dialogue, every actor movement, and every interaction with a prop needs to be visually captured in the same continuous shot for it to officially be a master shot.
What’s the Difference Between an Establishing Shot and a Master Shot?
A master shot is a single shot, captured from a single position without moving, that encompasses the action of a scene from start to finish. It serves as a backup that the editor can go back to in case other footage didn’t capture all of the necessary shots and angles.
The big difference between an establishing shot and a master shot is the length. An establishing shot usually only lasts a few seconds, but a master shot can last a few minutes. As such, a master shot can be cut down and used as an establishing shot, but an establishing shot cannot be used as a master shot.
What Purpose Do Master Shots Serve?
• Captures all necessary information using fluid blocking and staging to point out the information for the audience intentionally. It limits the usage of additional setups to convey a storyline, saving resources and time.
• Tells the story in a compelling manner expressing information using appealing visuals to give the audience something to focus on.
• Eliminates gaps in the edit by providing coverage ensuring the filmmaker has a shot to cut back to in the edit