Shot sizes

Shot sizes

Shot sizes are how big things are in the picture, and whether it mainly shows the setting, people in the setting, or details of faces and things. Most filmmakers use standard names for shot sizes. What really differentiates movies from plays is the way filmmakers manipulate the audience’s field of view. In theatre, the audience is in a “wide shot,” always looking at the entire stage and all the actors on it. They are free to look wherever they want. In cinema, however, the filmmaker directs what the public sees and how. While a long shot can show a vast vista of Mount Everest, an extreme close-up can show the silent despair of a child learning that his mother has passed away. These different shots make up the fabric of visual storytelling. 

Here are the various types of shot sizes used in filmaking. 

they are also the most common shots which are used in film.

Wide/Long Shot

Long shots are used to emphasize a sweeping location around the subject.Long shot and wide shot are interchangeable terms.This frame from Gone with the Wind (1939) emphasizes the tragedy of the Civil War and its death toll.

Medium Shot (MS)

Medium shots are the most common types of shots in the movies. Showing most of the subject’s body, medium shots are halfway between long shots and close-ups; however, authors disagree on the definition. While some writers say that the medium shot shows the character from a little above the knees to the top of his head, others state that medium shots only go as low as a little above the waist. Regardless of the academic debate, a medium shot is by all definitions a happy medium between a full shot and a close-up. 

Close-Up (CU)

In close-up shots, the subject occupies most of the frame, allowing very little observation on the environment. Close-ups are much more dramatic than long or medium shots and they are preferred when emphasizing someone’s emotion. 

Extreme Close-Up (ECU)

Often labelled as a detail shot, extreme close-ups do exactly that: show a small detail that would otherwise be missed in a winder shot.

Here is another guide to shot sizes and how, realistically they could be used.