An extreme long shot (or extreme wide shot) make your subject appear small against their location. You can use an extreme long shot to make your subject feel distant or unfamiliar.
Take a look at this extreme wide shot from Mad Max: Fury Road, one of the best action movies ever made.
Cinematic Shots - (EWS) Extreme Wide Shot Example in Mad Max: Fury Road
It can also make your subject feel overwhelmed by its location. Of all the various camera shots out there, consider using the extreme long shot when you need to emphasize the location or isolation.
The long shot (also known as a wide shot, abbreviated “WS”) is the same idea, but a bit closer. If your subject is a person then his or her whole body will be in view — but not filling the shot. Here's an example of the wide shot size from one of the best 2015 movies The Martian.
Types of camera shots: (WS) Wide Shot Example in The Martian
In other words, there should be a good deal of space above and below your subject. Use a long shot (or wide shot) to keep your subject in plain view amidst grander surroundings.
The wide shot also lets us see the beautiful background imagery, as well as the onlookers, which will make any big moment more cinematic.
Of the many camera shots, a long shot gives us a better idea of the scene setting, and gives us a better idea of how the character fits into the area.
Now let's talk about camera techniques in film that let your subject fill the frame while keeping emphasis on scenery.
Types of Shots: (FS) Full Shot Example in Django Unchained
This full shot from one of the best Quentin Tarantino movies Django Unchained, is also a tracking shot — meaning there is camera movement featured throughout the shot. In this particular case, the film shooting camera slowly moves (or tracks) towards Django.
So, technically, this movie shot begins in a wide shot, moves to full shot (seen above), and eventually ends in a cowboy shot (see below).
Of all the different types of camera shots in film, full shots can be used to feature multiple characters in a single shot, like this full shot size example from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Cinematic Shots: (FS) Full Shot Example in Guardians of the Galaxy
A medium long shot (aka medium long shot) frames the subject from roughly the knees up. It splits the difference between a full shot and a medium shot. Here's an example of the medium wide shot size from one of the best crime movies, The Usual Suspects:
(MWS) Medium Wide Camera Shot Example in The Usual Suspects
You can always frame cinematic camera shots from any angle as well, so don't be afraid to think about medium long shots when behind a character.
A variation on this is the Cowboy Shot, which 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. Here's an example of the cowboy shot size from one of the best movies of 2017 Wonder Woman.
Here is an example of a cowboy shot that's used in a film that has nothing to do with cowboys, and it's also a "three shot."
(CS) Cowboy Shot Example in The King’s Speech
Let's move onto camera shots that reveal your subject in more detail.
The medium shot is one of the most common camera shots. It's similar to the cowboy shot above, but the frames are roughly from the waist up and through the torso. So it emphasizes more of your subject while keeping their surroundings visible. Here's an example of the medium shot size from one of the best superhero movies, X-Men: Days of the Future Past.
(MS) Medium Shot Example in X-Men: Days of Future Past
Medium shots may seem like one of the most standard camera techniques in film, but every shot size you choose will have an effect on the viewer. A medium shot can often be used as a buffer shot for dialogue scenes that have an important moment later that will be shown in a close-up shot.
If you don't use all of the different types of camera shots in film, how can you signal anything to your viewer without shot size contrast.
The medium close-up frames your subject from roughly the chest up. So it typically favors the face, but still keeps the subject somewhat distant.
Here's an example of the medium close-up shot size from one of the Coen Brothers’ masterpieces No Country for Old Men.
(MCU) Medium Close Up Shot Example in No Country for Old Men
The medium close-up camera shot size keeps the characters eerily distant even during their face-to-face conversation.
You know it’s time for a close-up shot when you want to 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. Here's an example of the close-up shot size:
(CU) Close-Up Shot Example in The Usual Suspects
Of all the different types of camera shot sizes in film, a close-up is perfect for important moments. The close-up shot size is near enough to register tiny emotions, but not so close that we lose visibility.
An extreme close-up is the most you can fill a frame with your subject. It often shows eyes, mouths and gun triggers. In extreme close-up shots, smaller objects get great detail and are the focal point.
Use an ECU to emphasize a specific feature of your subject:
(ECU) Extreme Close-Up Camera Shot Example in X-Men: First Class
Visionary filmmaker Darren Aronofsky uses various degrees of close-ups in his work, like in one of Aronofsky's best films Black Swan. In this extreme close-up, we see that her transformation happens quite literally. Aronofsky uses the extreme close up shot size to show feathers growing in Nina’s back.
(ECU) Extreme Close-Up Example in Black Swan
Extreme close-ups can be used in many different film genres, which includes comedy as well. Here's an ECU example:
Type of camera shots example: (ECU) Extreme Close Up in Little Miss Sunshine
An establishing shot is a shot at the head of a scene that clearly shows us the location of the action. This shot often follows an aerial shot and is used to show where everything will happen.
Consider the following examples:
Type of camera shots: Shooting Great Establishing Shots • Subscribe on YouTube
We cover a lot of shot specs in this post, but don't worry. You don't need to memorize everything. If you use StudioBinder when shot listing, all these specs are listed as checkboxes for easy selection.
This allows you to focus on creativity rather than spending effort attempting to recall shot jargon or retyping acronyms 5,000 times.
