Basic Shot Types

Today I wanted to talk about shot types and what each shot is used for. There are many variations between these shots, but we'll start with the basics first before we get into different aspects.

The first shot is the Extreme Close Up, or ECU. The ECU is used to focus on a specific object, often the eyes. This can be used to show an emotion or make an impact with a reaction. This is often seen in a highly emotional scene, a classic shot is the three-way face-off from the movie "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." As the camera cuts back and forth between the actors, there is a series of ECUs showing the eyes of the actors as the emotion builds. It can be a very effective choice for a shot showing intense emotion. It can also be used to highlight an important piece of information, like a clue in a mystery thriller.

The Close-Up, or CU, is a shot that has the actor's head that fills the camera shot. This can also be used for emotion in a scene. There are many examples of CU shots in every movie out there. When the camera zooms into an actor's face to show a tender or exciting reaction, there's a CU.

The Medium Close-Up, or MCU, shows the actor from the shoulders up. This may be the most common shot used in video or film. This shot gives room around the actor to show the background but also shows enough detail of the actor to see their reactions. This is also a shot that can have two actors in the same shot comfortably.

The Medium Shot, or MS, is from the waist up. This gives more of the background in the shot, so it's a bit more helpful if something is going on behind the actor that needs to be shown. This is very common for multiple actors as well.

The Cowboy Shot, or CS, got its name from old Western films. This shot has the actor from mid-thigh, far enough out that the holster is visible. Because of this perspective, it was used repeatedly in Westerns to show the weapons of the actors,

The Medium Full Shot, or MFS, has the actor from the knees up. There is a ton of background for this shot, so it's often used when the background has a lot of importance.

The Full Shot, or FS, shows the complete body of the actor. The background is even more important with this shot, whether the aim is to show the actor as being overwhelmed by what's going on around them or make them seem smaller and insignificant.

Finally, the Wide Shot, or WS. This is where the actor is just a small part of the shot. If there is grand scenery around the action this shot can show everything going on. Often seen in battle scenes or in a large environment. At this level an individual is difficult to focus on, it's all about the action going on.

The major importance between the different shots is the perspective that each shot gives to the scene. Is the actors reaction more important than the background? Are there details of the actor that need to be shown? Is there action going on around the main actor that needs to be shown? A fight scene with a lot of movement needs a wider shot than a scene showing a tender moment between two characters. A closer shot is more intimate than a wider shot, the more that an emotion is needed to be shown, the closer the shot.

These shot types are shown with the most common names, although there are some different names used. There is also some ambiguity between shot types, The difference between some of the shots is more of a guideline than a specific shot. With a fixed lens, changing between the shots is a matter of moving the camera closer or farther to the action. A zoom lens only needs to be adjusted to get the shot type in frame, although there may be some readjustment needed for a big change in shot types.

These are the most common shot types, and the most basic. Our next topic will look at some ways to modify these shot types for more specific results. We hope you've enjoyed this introduction to shot types in film and video. Try and find examples for yourself, and you'll see where these shot types are useful!