LESSON 96
Shot sizes
From wide to extreme close-up.
IN THIS LESSON
- What sets the size
- The standard ladder
- What each size says
- Practice: covering a scene
What sets the size
A shot is the stretch of picture from the moment the camera starts to the moment it stops, or, in editing, the piece between two cuts. Its size, often called field size, describes how much of the subject and its surroundings are in frame. Two things decide it: how far the camera is from the subject, and the focal length of the lens. A shorter lens sees a wider angle, so you can change the size either by moving the camera or by changing the lens, and the two choices look different because perspective changes only when the camera moves.
The standard ladder
Film-makers use a shared ladder of names. The long or wide shot shows the subject in its setting and often serves as the establishing shot. The full shot fits the whole body. The medium-long shot cuts near the knees, the medium shot near the waist, and the medium close-up takes in more shoulder than a close-up. The close-up shows the shoulder line, and the extreme close-up cuts at the chin and forehead. Rarer sizes include the extreme long shot for panoramas, the American or cowboy shot that frames from mid-thigh, and the Italian shot that shows only the eyes, named after Sergio Leone's westerns.
What each size says
Size is a way of steering attention. Wide shots tell the viewer where they are and how people relate in space. Medium shots are good for conversation and gesture, because body language and faces both read. Close-ups bring the audience into a character's feelings and make small reactions large. Extreme close-ups isolate a detail, such as eyes, a hand on a door handle, a ticking watch. Cutting from wide to close builds intensity; cutting back out releases it. The same size used again and again flattens a scene, so variety itself carries meaning.
Practice: covering a scene
This is working practice. A simple coverage plan for a two-person scene is a wide master of the whole action, then medium shots of each person, then close-ups for the important lines and reactions. Shoot the master first so the actors set their moves. Keep the same side of the line for every set-up. Name each set-up on the slate with its size, which helps the editor find a close-up fast. If time is short, get the master and the close-ups of the key lines first; the in-between sizes are the easiest to lose.
| Size | Where the frame cuts | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Wide / long shot | Whole setting | Establishing place |
| Full shot | Head to toe | Movement and costume |
| Medium shot | Around the waist | Dialogue and gesture |
| Medium close-up | Mid-chest, shoulders in | Interviews, talk |
| Close-up | Shoulder line | Emotion |
| Extreme close-up | Chin to forehead or a detail | Emphasis |
Try it today
- 01Pick a short scene: a person making tea.
- 02Film it as a wide, a medium, a close-up and one extreme close-up.
- 03Cut a 30-second version using all four sizes.
- 04Cut a second version using only wides.
- 05Compare which version holds your attention, and why.