Shot Types

This is an example of establishing shot. It is used to set the scene for a film.

Establishing Shot

This is a wide shot which shows the focus of the scene (e.g. the main character) and their surrounding.

Wide Shot

A medium shot shows the character from the waist up, enabling us to their emotions and their surroundings.

Medium Shot

A close-up shot allows emotions to be shown.

Close-Up

A shot that is between a medium and close-up shot, showing a person’s head and shoulders.

Medium Close-Up

An extreme close-up is a shot of a detail that fills the screen.

Extreme Close-Up

A POV shot is a shot taken from the point of view of a character.

Point-of-View Shot

An over the shoulder shot is a shot taken from over the shoulder of the character, making the viewer feel like they are in the room.

Over the Shoulder Shot

Two shot is a shot that has two people in the shot (generally one is more important than the other).

Two Shot

Shot reverse shot is shot where a conversation takes place but only one person is shown (e.g. to show their reaction).

Shot Reverse Shot

A low angle shot is a shot that is taken from below to emphasise the power of the object of the shot.

Low Angle Shot

A high angle shot is one that is taken from above.