Shot Types

Extreme Wide Shot So far away, subject is not visible Used as an establishing shot – Designed to show the audience where the action is taking place Useful if action is spread out – war movies – shows the scale of the action

Very Wide Shot Closer than EWS, but still very far away Subject is barely visible Emphasizes his environment Allows plenty of room for action to take place or multiple subjects to appear Works as an establishing shot – audience is shown the whole setting

Wide Shot Subject takes up the full frame – as close as we can get without losing part of him – See head at top and feet at the bottom Room above and below is safety room – don’t want to cut off the top if his head or his feet

Mid Shot Shows the subject from the waist up Allows room for hand gestures/movement How we would see a person if we were having a conversation with them Works well for delivering information – reporters

Medium Close Up Half way between a mid shot and a close up See the subject from the chest up Shows face more clearly without getting uncomfortably close Appropriate for delivering facts and seeing some emotion

Close Up See the subject from the next up Useful for showing detail Can easily see facial expressions which helps emphasize their emotional state

Extreme Close Up Shows part of the face in extreme detail Need a specific reason to get this close Too close to show general reactions or emotions except in very dramatic scenes

Cut In Shows part of the subject in detail Can be used to emphasize emotions Hand movement can show enthusiasm, agitation, nervousness, etc.

Cut Away A shot that is of something other than the subject Could be of a different subject or just about anything else – Example: score board Used to add interest of information

Over the Shoulder Shot Framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject Helps establish the position of each person Audience gets the feeling of looking at one person from the other’s point of view Common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers

Point of View Shot Shows the view from the subject’s perspective Usually edited in such a way that it is obvious whose POV it is – Examples – typing on a keyboard, driving

Weather Shot Subject is the weather Sky takes up 2/3 of the frame This type of shot is common in television programs where weather is of particular interest (sports shows) Doesn’t have to show the sky. Could be puddles, trees blowing in the wind, snowman, etc.