Shot Sizes

Extreme Long Shot (XLS) :

• 
  Traditionally used in exterior
• shooting.
• Captures a large field of view.
• Showing a large amount of
• environment within film space.
• Shows where. often used as an
• establishing shot;
• Shows when - day, night, winter, summer, past, present

Very Long Shot (VLS):
 

• Similar to XLS but can also be used
• in interior when enough width and
• height.
• Object of interest more visible.
• - Establishing shot; character in an
• environment.
• Shows where, when and a bit more
• of who.

Long Shot (LS):

•  Full body is in shot, can see bottom of feet and top of head in frame.

•  Interior or exterior shooting.

• Object of interest takes attention away from the surroundings, but still visible.

• Shows where, when and who - gender, clothing, movements and facial expressions visible.

Medium Long Shot (MLS):

• Framing subject from the knee.
• Object of interest is prominent, details in clothing, gender, facial expressions, props and accessories.
• Showing more of who than where and when. But is still visible.






Medium Shot (MS):

• Framing subject from the waist.
• Object of interest is most prominent and see more detail - eyes and the direction they look, clothing, hair, facial expressions, body movements
• Restricts freedom of gesture. Don’t break frame - body part touch or go out of frame.






Medium Close-Up (MCU):


• Referred to as ‘two button’ as it frames subject from chest.
• Commonly used when character is speaking, listening, or performing an action that doesn’t require much body or head movement.
• Audience watching face, surroundings hold little importance.

Close-Up (CU):

•  Referred to as ‘head-shot’, as the framing may cut off at top of hair and at bottom of chin.
• More intimate full face shot than
• MCU - showing subtle emotions
• across eyes, mouth and facial muscles.
•  Audience totally focused on face.

Big Close-Up (BCU):

• Face or object of interest occupies whole of frame

• Such an intimate shot puts the audience directly in the face of the subject - every detail of the face is highly visible.

• Can show how characters feels, but be subtle and restrict movement.

Extreme-Close Up (ECU):

• Purely a detail shot - framing just one aspect - such as eye, mouth, ear, hand
•  No point of reference to surrounding environment, audience has no context in which to place this body part.
• Good shot to draw attention and show detail.