The Language of Film: Shot Types

The Building Blocks of Film Frame: This is the smallest unit of a film. They can be thought of as snapshots in time. Shot: Those images which are recorded continuously from the time the camera starts to the time it stops. That is, an unedited, uncut strip of film. Scene: A unit of film composed of a number of interrelated shots, unified usually by a central concern.

The extreme close up (ECU) A minutely detailed view of an object or a person. An extreme close-up of an actor generally includes only his eyes, or his mouth.

The close up (CU) The primary point of focus in any close-up is the subject's face. This framing typically mimics the experience of what you would see in real life if you were conversing with a person.

The medium close up (MCU) It includes the whole upper carriage like a traditional bust. An MCU is far enough away to give the subject a respectable amount of space, but close enough to see their face.

The mid shot (MS) This shot typically shows a character from the waist up. It enables the viewer to see what it is the character is doing.

The long shot (LS) The LS shows a character in an environment. This tells the viewer where and/or when the action is taking place. It is sometimes used as an establishing shot at the beginning of a scene to show the viewer where the action will be taking place.

The extreme long shot (ELS) A panoramic view of an exterior location, filmed from a great distance. Like a LS, an ELS can be used as an establishing shot at the beginning of a scene.

Putting it all together Copy the diagram to your exercise books

Working in groups, identify what these shots are examples of. Give reasons for your choice Example one

Example two

Example three

Example four

Example five

Example six

Working in groups, see how many shot types you can describe in the following clip. Use abbreviations to describe each shot type Include a brief description of what is shown by the shot The Simpsons