Shot Lengths

Shot Lengths

Extreme Long Shot: Extreme is a comparative term, with the true distance being dependent upon subject matter. This type of shot is generally used as a scene- setting or 'establishing' shot. In generalized terms, it shows an exterior i.e. office blocks or landscape, it has been known to be used in disaster filming, showing destruction and providing the audience with an element of thrill.

Long Shots: These shots show the whole person or the feature object as part of the landscape. The establishing shot in film production is usually a shot showing the audience the actor/s in their environment. This ascertains the context of the shots to follow, and gives a useful overall perspective.

Medium Shot: This type of shot generally shows a character from the knees/ waist up. This allows the viewer to clearly see the characters' expressions and movement without dominating the screen. This type of shot usually cuts out much of the background, allowing concentration to be on body language & dialogue, as reaction shots can draw the audience in.

Close-up : A close- up shot shows very little background, and focuses mainly on either a face or a specific detail of Mise-en-scene- everything in the background becomes blurred. This type of shot magnifies the object and directs the audience to the significance of the action/ reaction of that time.

Extreme Close up: It magnifies beyond what a human eye would experience. These shots are used for dramatic emphasis- by framing only an eye or mouth, the director can add drama, suspense or tension to the moment in the narrative.


POV shot: This is a point of view shot and is used to show the frame from a characters perspective. It can allow an audience to empathize with what a character is feeling as they see it first hand,