Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots: Every Shot Size Explained [The Shot List, Ep 1]

Films are made up of sequences.

Sequences are made up of scenes.

And scenes are made up of shots.

But we must understand

the characteristics and storytelling value

of each shot.

"- Don't be a..."

In this video,

we will begin with the big picture

and work our way down.

We're going to define the essential shot sizes

in a filmmaker's toolbox.

And how to use the right shot

at the right time

to create memorable moments on screen.

This is episode 1 of "The Shot List".

Shot size.

Shot choices help establish the rhythm.

Tone.

And meaning of a scene.

Knowing which shot will be the most aesthetically

and dramatically valuable for a given scene

should be the highest priority

for both a director and a DP.

In this video,

we'll be examining essential shot sizes.

As we go, we'll populate a shot list in StudioBinder

as a sort of cheat sheet

the next time you need create one.

Now, let's get to the shots.

The most common visual element to open a scene

or even an entire film

is the Establishing Shot.

♪ ♪

It is typically wide enough to establish the geography.

Time of day.

Show the scale of subjects

in relation to their environment.

And is often used to transition between scenes.

With genres like science fiction.

Where entirely new world need to be introduced,

establishing shot is crucial.

"Blade Runner 2049"

opens with a series of establishing shots.

We get the first impressions of near-future Earth

with industrial and futuristic farms

outside the city.

So remember,

an establishing shot

is a crucial introductory component of any scene.

It can mark a transition to a new location.

Or introduce crucial details

about the location or world.

The establishing shot is often followed up

with a Master Shot.

Or simply The Master.

Like the establishing shot

a master shot confirms the location

and geography of the scene.

It also clarifies which characters are in the scene

and where they are in relationship to each other.

"- Go sit down.

Talk to each other.

Hey, Mr. Einstein..."

Here we see a master from "The Godfather: Part II"

framing the Corleone family around a dinner table.

"- Hey, Sally, get in here!"

The majority of this scene

is played in the master

to emphasize the family's close-knit relationship.

"- Country isn't your blood.

- I don't feel that way."

Until Michael drops some devastating news.

"- Oh, if you don't feel like that

why wouldn't you quit college and go join the army!

- I did.

I've enlisted in the Marines."

"- Micky, wow, why didn't you come to us.

- I mean, Pop had to put all the strings to get you a deferment.

- I didn't ask for it.

- I didn't ask for a deferment. I didn't want."

But it also helps make Michael split from the family visual.

From this...

...to this.

And we feel the emptiness around him

that much more.

Remember, the master captures the scene

playing out in its entirety

providing the editor with something to cut out to,

if necessary.

Moving on.

Wide Shot (WS)

"- Let me tell you about my book."

♪ ♪

The wide shot positions subjects far from the camera

to visually represent their relationship to their environment.

This is distinct from the establishing shot,

which is about location.

The wide shot is principally concerned

with the scale of the subject.

"- I'm finished."

It can be used when you need to make subjects appear lost.

Lonely or overwhelmed.

Or comment on a subject's relationship

to their environment.

In this wide-shot from "Phantom Thread"

we can see the characters, Alma and Reynolds

dwarfed by a messy ballroom.

Paul Thomas Anderson could have ended the scene

with close-ups to capture their character's emotions.

But by ending with a wide shot here,

we can consider Alma and Reynolds together

yet isolated from the world around them.

Use it when you need to establish

the spatial relationships of the subjects.

Make statements using distance, depth or size.

Our next subject.

Full Shot (FS)

When a subjects entire body

reaches from the top to the bottom edges of the frame

the shot is defined as full.

With a full shot,

it's not necessary to put the subject in the center of the frame,

but notice how often this is the case.

This example is effective

because it is tight enough to tell a story

with the character's face

but wide enough to further the story

by observing her entire body, posture, and wardrobe.

So remember a full is composed head to toe

and you can use them when you need to

make statements about a subject's physicality

and present a character in all their glory.

Moving on.

Medium Full Shot (FS) / Cowboy.

The medium full shot is arranged from the top of the subject's head

to just below their waist.

It is sometimes referred to as a Cowboy Shot

based on the height of gun holsters.

Here we can see complementary angles

from "The Favorite"

composed in medium fulls.

The cowboy angle on the character Lady Sarah

is particularly strong and confrontational.

This isn't a western

and features no holsters,

but it's hard not to think of cowboys

when firearms are deployed like this.

Use it when you need to present a subject

as confident, dangerous or confrontational.

Especially when weapons might be drawn.

Moving on.

Medium Shot (MS)

Perhaps the most popular shot size

in all of cinema

is the medium shot.

But why?

Because it's more of a neutral shot.

Neither dramatic like a close-up

or distancing like a wide shot.

It captures the subject

in a size similar

to how we interact with people.

"- Would you hold still?"

The typical composition of a medium shot

starts above the waist,

but below the chest

and ends just above the head.

Shot sizes deployed in animated films

function under the same compositional rules.

"- Oh. - Hello."

Let's look at an example to better illustrate this.

In this scene from "Coco"

Miguel watches a film starring his idol.

The medium shot composition

accommodates quite a bit.

The props from Miguel shrine.

The detail on the TV screen

and Miguel's reactions to it.

It's an intimate moment

as we observe Migel's joy.

Along with the object of his affection

in a single frame.

So remember, the typical composition of a medium shot

starts above the waist

but below the chest

and ends just above their head.

Use it when you need to

dig into a subject size

without losing their physicality or environment.

Or utilize a true middle-ground approach

that is neither jarring

nor especially dramatic.

Our next subject.

Medium Close Up Shot (MCU)

When a shot frames a subject from mid-chest

to just above their head,

it is referred to as a medium close-up.

Medium close-ups are about reducing distraction

and prioritizing story and character details.

"- Why don't you start right now and get the fuck out of here?"

Use it when you need to get intimate with a subject

without losing their physicality.

"- Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

Here the villainous Thanos

snaps his fingers

during the climatic moments of "Avengers: Endgame".

With this shot size

we have room for the infinity gauntlet.

And Thanos's look of cruel satisfaction

in thinking, he is one.

But when he fails,

this medium close-up

is designed to also capture his reaction.

Remember, a medium close-up

is roughly head to chest.

Are you ready for it?

It's the Close Up (CU)

Of course,

the most powerful visual weapon for highlighting a change in emotion

or dramatic beat on screen.

Close-ups are most often arranged at eye level

better to dig into the windows of the soul.

In this shot size,

we have a front-row seat

for a character's thoughts and feelings.

"- Who is it?"

"- Will you help me?

- Yes, anything."

The close-up is about empathy

and illustrates how dramatically effective it can be

in a time of decision or anxiety.

Our final category.

Extreme Close Up Shot (ECU)

An extreme close up

or ECU

frames a subject to isolate a specific area.

This could be lips, ears or nose,

But the eyes are typically the focus.

Like here in "Kill Bill Vol. 1".

As the Bride is swarmed by the Crazy 88,

we cut back and forth between their entry points

and her frantic eyes.

But when the function of a specific prop

or an intimate detail is necessary

filmmakers will often rely on the insert shot.

Inserts are most commonly used

to highlight and isolate something crucial to the narrative.

So remember, an extreme close-up

or an insert shot

is one of the greatest tools for emphasis.

It is the most intimate, dramatic and potentially startling

of all shot sizes.

So this is our shot list made in StudioBinder's so far.

It has all of the most common shot sizes you can reference

the next time you need to create a shot list.

You can find a link to the full shot list in the description.

If you're looking for shot listing software to automate the process

check the description for a link to StudioBinder.

It's free to get started.

In the next episode of this series,

we'll explore framing and composition.

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Click the bell to stay in the loop.

And happy shot listing.