THE SHOT

Types of Shots

1. Extreme Long Shot - This framing is sometimes referred to as an Establishing Shot and is perfect for emphasizing the background and environment the character is against, especially as the first shot within a sequence. When shooting at this kind of distance, it is hard to see the subtle dramatic performances of the character.
2. Long Shot - In the Long Shot the whole subject is in the frame. The usual convention of the Long Shot is the character's head and feet are nearly touching the top and bottom of frame. As we are now closer to the subject, it is easier to identify aspects of the character and their performances, but also retain the audiences' awareness of the overall environment they are in, which makes the Long Shot a good framing for an action scenes and observing social groups.
3. Medium Shot - The convention of Medium Shot, is (when framing a person) approximately half their body is in shot, ie. from waist up. More subtle performances and detailed actions can be seen. The Medium Shot is a good framing for conversation scenes between characters, especially if hand movements are part of the performance.
4. Close-Up - The Close-Up Shot shows a detail of the overall subject or action- ie. the head or hands if it is a person. Close-Up of characters are good way to engaging the audience into the character emotionally. We also note, as we get closer to the character, we begin to lose the background information, therefore emphasizing the subject, rather than the background.
5. Extreme Close-Up Camera shot showing detail of a person, this is closer than a close up shot.