Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots: Every Shot Size Explained [The Shot List, Ep 1]

films are made up of sequences sequences are made up of scenes and scenes are made up of shots but we must understand the characteristics and storytelling value of each shot don't fear in this video we'll begin with the big picture and work our way down we're going to define the essential shot sizes in a filmmakers toolbox and how to use the right shot at the right time to create the memorable moments on-screen [Music] this is episode 1 of the shot list shot sighs shot choices help establish the rhythm tone and meaning of a scene knowing

which shot will be the most aesthetically and dramatically valuable for a given scene should be the highest priority for both a director and a DP in this video we'll be examining essential shot sizes as we go will populate a shot list in studio binder as a sort of cheat sheet the next time you need to create one now let's get to the sharps [Applause] the most common visual element to open a scene or even an entire film is the establishing shot [Music] it is typically wide enough to establish that geography time of day show the

scale of subjects in relation to their environment and is often used to transition between scenes [Music] with genres like science fiction where entirely new worlds need to be introduced the establishing shot is crucial Blade Runner 20:49 opens with a series of establishing shots [Music] we get the first impressions of near-future earth with industrial and futuristic farms outside the city so remember an establishing shot is a crucial introductory component of any scene it can mark a transition to a new location or introduce crucial details about the location or world the establishing shot is often followed up

with a master shot or simply the master [Music] like the establishing shot a master shot confirms the location and geography of the scene it also clarifies which characters are in the scene and where they are in relationship to each other here we see a master from the Godfather Part 2 framing the Corleone family around identity the majority of this scene is played in the master to emphasize the families close-knit relationship country agent blonde you remember that I don't feel that way until Michael drops some devastating news well if you don't feel like that one II

just quit college and go to go to join the army I did I enlisted in the movies me pop had to pull a lot of strings to get your deferment I didn't ask for don't ask for the firm and I didn't want it also helps make Michaels split from the family visual from this to this [Music] school and we feel the emptiness around him that much more remember the master captures the scene playing out in its entirety providing the editor with something to cut out to if necessary moving on wide shot WS let me tell

you about my book the wide shot positions subjects far from the camera to visually represent their relationship to their environment this is distinct from the establishing shot which is about location the wide shot is principally concerned with the scale of the subject I'm finished it can be used when you need to make subjects appear lost lonely or overwhelmed or comment on a subjects relationship to their environment in this white shot from phantom thread we can see the characters Alma and Wren roles dwarfed by a messy ballroom Paul Thomas Anderson could have ended the scene with

close-ups to capture the characters emotions but by ending with a wide shot here we can consider Alma and Reynolds together yet isolated from the world around them use it when you need to establish these spatial relationships of the subjects make statements using distance depth or size our next subject full shot when a subjects entire body reaches from the top to the bottom edges of the frame the shot is defined as full with a full shot it's not necessary to put the subject in the center of the frame but notice how often this is the case

this example is effective because it is tight enough to tell a story with the character's face but wide enough to further the story by observing her entire body posture and water so remember a fool is composed egg to toe and you can use them when you need to make statements about a subjects physicality and present a character in all their glory moving on medium full shot cowboy the medium full shot is arranged from the top of the subjects head to just below their waist it is sometimes referred to as a cowboy shot based on the

height of gun holsters here we can see complementary angles from the favorite composed in medium Falls the cowboy angle on the character Lady Sarah is particularly strong and confrontational this isn't a Western and features no holsters but it's hard not to think of Cowboys when firearms are deployed like this use it when you need to present a subject as confident dangerous or confrontational especially when weapons might be drawn moving on medium shot EMS perhaps the most popular shot size in all of cinema is the medium shot but why because it's more of a neutral shot

neither dramatic like a close-up or distancing like a wide shot it captures the subject in a size similar to how we interact with people would you hold still the typical composition of a medium shot starts above the waist but below the chest and ends just above the head shot sizes deployed in animated films function under the same compositional rules oh hello let's look at an example to better illustrate this in this scene from Coco Miguel watches a film starring his idol the medium shot composition accommodates quite a bit the props from Miguel shrine the detail

on the TV screen and Miguel's reactions to it it's an intimate moment as we observed Miguel's joy along with the objects of his affection in a single frame follow my heart do not have feeling so remember the typical composition of a medium shot starts above the waist but below the chest and ends just above the head use it when you need to dig into a subjects eyes without losing their physicality or environment or utilize a true middle ground approach that is neither jarring nor especially dramatic our next subject medium close-up shot MCU [Music] when a

shot frames the subject from mid-chest to just above their head it is referred to as a medium close-up medium close-ups are about reducing distraction and prioritizing story and character details why don't you start right now and get the [ __ ] out of here use it when you need to get intimate with a subject without losing their physicality perhaps I treated you too harshly here the villainous Thanos snaps his fingers during the climatic moments of Avengers endgame with this shop size we have room for the Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos his look of cruel satisfaction in

thinking he is one but when he fails this medium close-up is designed to also capture his reaction remember a medium close-up is roughly head to chest are you ready for it it's for close-up see you of course the most powerful visual weapon for highlighting a change in emotion or dramatic beat on-screen close-ups are most often arranged at eye level better to dig into the windows of a soul in this shot sighs we have a front-row seat for a character's thoughts and feelings we probably yes anything the close-up is about empathy and illustrates how dramatically effective

it can be in a time of decision or anxiety our final category extreme closeup shot ECU an extreme close-up or ECU frames a subject to isolate a specific area this could be lips ears or nose but the eyes are typically the focus like here in Kill Bill volume 1 as the bride is swarmed by the crazy 88 we cut back and forth between their entry points and her frantic eyes but when the function of a specific prop or an intimate detail is necessary filmmakers will often rely on the insert shot inserts are most commonly used

to highlight and isolate something crucial to the narrative [Music] so remember an extreme closeup or an insert shot is one of the greatest tools for emphasis it is the most intimate dramatic and potentially startling of all shot sizes so this is our shot list made in studio binders so far it has all of the most common shot sizes you can reference the next time you need to create a shot list you can find a link to the full shot list in the description if you're looking for sharp misting software to automate the process check the

description for a link to studio binder it's free to get started in the next episode of this series we'll explore framing and composition [Music] subscribe to our channel click the bell to stay in the loop and happy shot listing [Music] [Applause]