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 be a..."
In this video,
we will begin with the big picture
and work our way down.
We're going to define the essential shot sizes
in a filmmaker's toolbox.
And how to use the right shot
at the right time
to create memorable moments on screen.
This is episode 1 of "The Shot List".
Shot size.
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, we'll populate a shot list in StudioBinder
as a sort of cheat sheet
the next time you need create one.
Now, let's get to the shots.
The most common visual element to open a scene
or even an entire film
is the Establishing Shot.
♪ ♪
It is typically wide enough to establish the geography.
Time of day.
Show the scale of subjects
in relation to their environment.
And is often used to transition between scenes.
With genres like science fiction.
Where entirely new world need to be introduced,
establishing shot is crucial.
"Blade Runner 2049"
opens with a series of establishing shots.
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.
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.
"- Go sit down.
Talk to each other.
Hey, Mr. Einstein..."
Here we see a master from "The Godfather: Part II"
framing the Corleone family around a dinner table.
"- Hey, Sally, get in here!"
The majority of this scene
is played in the master
to emphasize the family's close-knit relationship.
"- Country isn't your blood.
- I don't feel that way."
Until Michael drops some devastating news.
"- Oh, if you don't feel like that
why wouldn't you quit college and go join the army!
- I did.
I've enlisted in the Marines."
"- Micky, wow, why didn't you come to us.
- I mean, Pop had to put all the strings to get you a deferment.
- I didn't ask for it.
- I didn't ask for a deferment. I didn't want."
But it also helps make Michael split from the family visual.
From this...
...to this.
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 subject's relationship
to their environment.
In this wide-shot from "Phantom Thread"
we can see the characters, Alma and Reynolds
dwarfed by a messy ballroom.
Paul Thomas Anderson could have ended the scene
with close-ups to capture their character's 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
the spatial relationships of the subjects.
Make statements using distance, depth or size.
Our next subject.
Full Shot (FS)
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 wardrobe.
So remember a full is composed head to toe
and you can use them when you need to
make statements about a subject's physicality
and present a character in all their glory.
Moving on.
Medium Full Shot (FS) / Cowboy.
The medium full shot is arranged from the top of the subject's 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 fulls.
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 (MS)
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 observe Migel's joy.
Along with the object of his affection
in a single frame.
So remember, the typical composition of a medium shot
starts above the waist
but below the chest
and ends just above their head.
Use it when you need to
dig into a subject size
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)
When a shot frames a 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 fuck 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 shot size
we have room for the infinity gauntlet.
And Thanos's 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 the Close Up (CU)
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 the soul.
In this shot size,
we have a front-row seat
for a character's thoughts and feelings.
"- Who is it?"
"- Will you help me?
- 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 Close Up 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 Vol. 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.
So remember, an extreme close-up
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 StudioBinder's 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 shot listing software to automate the process
check the description for a link to StudioBinder.
It's free to get started.
In the next episode of this series,
we'll explore framing and composition.
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And happy shot listing.