CAMERA

SHOT SIZES
 What is a shot size?
Shot size is how much of the setting or subject is
displayed within a given frame of a video, photo, or
animation, hence the scope or size of the shot.
Camera shot sizes:
1. Establishing shot 6. Cowboy shot (CS)
2. Extreme wide shot (EWS) 7. Medium shot (MS)
3. Wide shot (WS) 8. Medium close up (MCU)
4. Full shot (FS) 9. Close up (CU)
5. Medium wide shot (MWS) 10. Extreme close up (ECU)
 ESTABLISHING SHOT
▪ A critical component to opening up your scene and
conveying exactly what you want to your audience.
▪ A shot in filmmaking and television that sets up the
context for the scene ahead, designed to inform the
audience where the action will be taking place.
▪ It shows the relationship between people and objects,
and establishes the scene’s geography.
▪ It uses wide shots and /or aerial shots for geography.
ESTABLISHING SHOT

▪ Found at the beginning of a scene, it is used to set a

particular tone and mood for what the audience is
about to see.
▪ It is often used to reveal character or plot
information.
▪ You can also show the passage of time with
establishing shots.
 Establishing the dinner scene, The Grand Budapest Hotel
▪ Establishes geography and location (We are introduced to where we are
in the scene – the hotel’s dining room. With a wide, high angle, we see
the two men, their relation to each other, and their relation to the rest of
the ridiculously sized, and otherwise, completely empty room.)
 EXTREME WIDE SHOT (EWS)
▪ Aka extreme long shot, a camera shot that will make your subject
appear small against their location. You can also use an extreme long
shot to make your subject feel distant or unfamiliar.

▪ Use it when you need to emphasize the location and the relationship
of the characters within it.
 WIDE SHOT (WS) or LONG SHOT (LS)
▪ A camera shot that balances both the subject and the surrounding
imagery. A wide shot will often keep the entire subject in frame while
giving context to the environment.

▪ Of the many camera shots, a long shot gives us a better idea of the scene
setting, and of how the character fits into the area.
▪ Wide shots also create narrative distance with the subject, often dwarfing
characters against an expansive terrain.
 FULL SHOT (FS)
▪ Lets your subject fill the frame, head to toe, while still allowing some
features of the scenery.

▪ Full shots can also be used to feature multiple characters in a single shot
 MEDIUM WIDE SHOT (MWS)
▪ Aka medium long shot; it frames the subject from roughly the knees up.
It splits the difference between a full shot and a medium shot.
 COWBOY SHOT (CS)
▪ Frames the subject from roughly mid-thighs up. It’s called a “cowboy
shot” because it is used in Westerns to frame a gunslinger’s gun or
holster on his hip.
 MEDIUM SHOT (MS)
▪ It’s similar to the cowboy shot, but frames from roughly the waist up and
through the torso. It emphasizes more of your subject while keeping
their surroundings visible.
 MEDIUM CLOSE UP (MCU)
▪ Frames your subject from roughly the chest up. It typically favors the
face, it still keeps the subject somewhat distant.

▪ In this example, the MCU is close enough to emphasize the subject and
wide enough to include the surrounding space around them.
 CLOSE UP (CU)
▪ Reveal a subject’s emotions and reactions. The close up camera shot fills
your frame with a part of your subject. If your subject is a person, it is
often their face.

▪ Perfect for moments that are important for the character. This shot is
near enough to register tiny emotions, but not so close that we lose
visibility.
 EXTREME CLOSE UP (ECU)
▪ Fills the frame with your subject, and is so close that we can pick up tiny
details that would otherwise be difficult to see.
▪ Often shows eyes, gun triggers, and lips.