Home

Shot Composition

Basic Shots

Virtual Lenses

Shot Composition
The Basics....

To start with, we'll look at the basic framing of subject matter, ie. how large a person or object of interest is placed within the overall picture.

In the convention of film and television language, there are five classic framings. They are called :-

EXTREME LONG SHOT (also known as WIDE SHOT)
LONG SHOT
MEDIUM SHOT
CLOSE UP
EXTREME CLOSE UP

Using the picture to the right, you can compare the different framings of a character. The buttons are labelled with the acronyms that are common usage in the film and television industry. These acronyms are the shorthand that many filmmakers refer to when storyboarding, filming or editing. You should note, that the desigination of framing is based on the vertical aspect of the overall picture.

Let's look at them in detail, starting with EXTREME LONG SHOT