Camera Field Size Courtesy of Jackie Rygg The camera field size defines how much of the subject and its surrounding area is visible within the camera’s field of view and is determined by two factors: 1.) Camera-to-subject distance and 2.) The camera’s focal length of it’s lens Note that the shorter a lens’s focal length, the wider its angle of view

Shot designations relating to people:

LS – (long shot) or Full shot – shot from top of the head to the feet. Good for establishing shots.

MS – (medium shot) – shot from the waist up

MCU – (medium close up) – cropped from between the shoulders to the top of the head. Also called the shoulder shot.

CU – (Close Up)-most desireable for interviews. Changing facial expressions which are important to understanding a conversation can easily be seen

XCU-(Extreme Close Up) – This shot is reserved for dramatic impact and just shows the eyes of an individual. An XCU is often necessary to reveal important information

Duration The length of time a camera shot lasts revers to its “duration.” The duration of a camera shot is an important consideration that can greatly affect how a story is perceived. The purpose of editing any given scene is to create a representation of the way the scene might be understood by the “story teller.”

Duration Shots with a longer duration can make a scene seem more relaxed and slower paced whereas shots with a shorter duration can make a scene seem urgent and faster paced. (insert movie link)