Film is a visual medium, and every frame tells part of the story. The types of shots a director and cinematographer choose shape how the audience experiences a scene: what they notice, how they feel, and what they understand. For production teams, having a shared vocabulary around different types of shots makes communication on set faster and more precise.

Below, we break down every major shot type by size, camera angle, and movement, so you can reference it on your next shoot or use it to build a stronger shot list from the start.

Shot Sizes: From Wide to Close

Shot size refers to how much of the subject and surrounding environment appears in the frame. The right shot size directs the viewer's attention exactly where it needs to be.

Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)

The extreme wide shot captures a vast environment where the subject appears very small, or isn't visible at all. Sometimes called an extreme long shot, this shot type is all about scale. It tells the audience where they are and gives them the bigger picture before the story zooms in.

You'll see extreme wide shots used in opening sequences, scene transitions, and any moment where the filmmaker wants to emphasize how large the world is compared to the characters in it.

Wide Shot / Long Shot (WS/LS)

A wide shot (or long shot) shows the subject's entire body within their environment. It gives the audience spatial context: where the character is, what surrounds them, and how they relate to the space.

These two terms are often used interchangeably, though a wide shot can lean toward emphasizing the horizontal scope of the frame, while a long shot emphasizes the distance between the camera and the subject. Either way, wide shots are foundational for setting scenes and giving audiences a sense of place.

Full Shot

A full shot frames the subject from head to toe, filling more of the frame than a standard wide shot. It's the go-to choice when you need to show a character's entire body. This includes their posture, wardrobe, movement, and body language, all of which come through clearly.

Full shots are common in action scenes, dance sequences, and any moment where physical performance carries the storytelling.

Medium Long Shot / American Shot

The American shot frames the subject from roughly the knees up. It earned its name from classic Hollywood Westerns, where this framing conveniently showed a cowboy's holstered pistol while still capturing facial expression and upper body movement.

This shot type strikes a practical balance, close enough to read emotion, wide enough to show physicality and environment.

Medium Shot (MS)

The medium shot is arguably the most-used shot type in filmmaking. It frames the subject from approximately the waist up and works beautifully for dialogue scenes, interviews, and general coverage.

A medium shot captures enough of a character's body language and facial expression to keep the audience emotionally connected while preserving some environmental context. If you're ever unsure which shot to default to, the medium shot is almost always a safe and effective choice.

Medium Close-Up Shot (MCU)

The medium close-up shot frames the subject from the chest or shoulders up. It pulls the viewer's attention in tighter than a medium shot without jumping all the way to a close-up.

This framing is a staple in television news, interview setups, and conversation scenes. It feels natural and personal without being overly intimate.

Close-Up Shot (CU)

A close-up tightly frames the character's face or a specific object, making it the focal point of the entire frame. This is where emotion lives on screen. Every subtle shift in facial expression becomes amplified, and the audience can't look away.

Close-ups are used for emotional beats, character reactions, and moments where a small detail carries enormous narrative weight.

Extreme Close-Up (ECU)

The extreme close-up isolates a single detail: an eye, a trembling hand, a ticking clock. It's an intense shot type that creates suspense, urgency, or laser-focused attention on something specific.

Because of its intensity, the extreme close-up works best when used sparingly. When it shows up, the audience knows to pay attention.

Shot Sizes at a Glance

Camera Angles: How Perspective Shapes the Story

While shot size tells us how much we see, the camera angle tells us how we see it. Adjusting where the camera sits relative to the subject shifts the audience's perception of power, vulnerability, and mood.

Eye-Level Shot

The camera sits at the subject's eye level, creating a neutral and natural perspective. It doesn't impose any judgment; the audience sees the character as an equal. This is the default angle for most dialogue scenes and standard coverage.

Low Angle Shot

A low angle positions the camera below the subject, looking up. This makes the subject appear taller, more powerful, or more imposing. Directors often use a low angle to introduce a main character, a villain, or any figure meant to command authority on screen.

High Angle Shot

The opposite of a low angle, a high angle shot looks down on the subject from above. It tends to make the subject appear smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable. A high angle shot is a reliable choice for showing a character overwhelmed, lost, or at a disadvantage.

Overhead Shot (Bird's Eye View)

An overhead shot positions the camera directly above the subject, pointing straight down. It provides an almost omniscient perspective and works well for showing spatial relationships, symmetrical compositions, and choreographed movement. The overhead shot is a favorite in stylized filmmaking, dance sequences, and crime scene reveals.

Dutch Angle (Dutch Tilt)

The dutch angle tilts the camera on its axis so the horizon line runs diagonally across the frame. It immediately signals that something is off, creating unease, tension, or disorientation. It's a popular choice in thriller and horror films, but use it with intention. Overusing the dutch angle can undercut its dramatic effect.

Over-the-Shoulder Shot

The camera sits behind one character's shoulder, framing the other character in the conversation. This shoulder shot setup is a foundational technique for dialogue scenes. It establishes the spatial relationship between two characters and subtly aligns the audience with one character's point of view.

Camera Movement Shots: Adding Motion to the Frame

Camera movement shots physically move the camera, or adjust the lens, to follow action, reveal new information, or build a specific emotional response. These shots often require specialized equipment and a skilled camera operator working in coordination with the rest of the crew.

Pan Shot

The camera rotates horizontally on a fixed point, sweeping left to right or right to left. Pan shots follow lateral action, reveal new elements entering the frame, or survey a wide environment.

Tilt Shot

Similar to a pan but vertical, the camera rotates up or down on a fixed point. Tilt shots reveal height, scan a character from head to toe, or follow vertical movement like a rocket launch or a character looking up at a tall building.

Dolly Shot

A dolly shot moves the camera toward or away from the subject on a track or wheeled platform. Unlike a zoom, the camera physically changes position, which shifts the perspective and spatial relationships within the frame. The dolly shot adds a sense of depth and dimension that static shots simply can't replicate.

Dolly Zoom (Vertigo Effect)

The dolly zoom is one of the most visually striking techniques in cinema. The camera dollies in one direction while the lens zooms in the opposite direction, keeping the subject the same size while the background dramatically warps. The result is a surreal, disorienting effect that conveys sudden realization, panic, or dread.

Famously used in Vertigo and Jaws, the dolly zoom requires precise coordination between the camera operator and focus puller (and it never fails to grab the audience).

Tracking Shot

A tracking shot moves alongside the subject, following their movement through a space. It keeps the audience locked in step with the character and is commonly executed on a dolly, Steadicam, or gimbal.

Crane / Jib Shot

A crane or jib shot lifts the camera vertically (and sometimes horizontally) on an extended arm. These sweeping movements are ideal for reveals, establishing shots, and dramatic transitions.

Steadicam / Gimbal Shot

A Steadicam or gimbal shot uses a stabilizing rig to allow smooth camera movement through dynamic environments (hallways, staircases, crowds). It combines the freedom of handheld shooting with polished, fluid motion. 

Zoom Shot

A zoom shot changes the lens focal length to bring the subject closer or push them farther away. The camera itself stays still. While it may look similar to a dolly shot at first glance, the zoom shot compresses or expands the background differently, creating a distinct visual effect. It's a quick way to shift the viewer's attention without moving any equipment.

Handheld Shot

The camera operator holds the camera without stabilization, producing natural shake and movement. Handheld shots create an immersive, documentary-like quality that adds energy and urgency. They're common in action scenes, horror, and independent filmmaking where raw immediacy serves the story.

Specialized and Compositional Shots

Some shots are defined less by size or movement and more by their purpose or composition within a scene.

Establishing Shot

An establishing shot opens a scene by showing the audience where and when the action takes place. It's one of the most recognized different shots in filmmaking and orients the viewer before the story moves to tighter coverage.

Master Shot

A master shot captures an entire scene's action from beginning to end in a single shot, usually from a wide or full perspective. Editors use it as a foundation, cutting away to closer coverage and back to the master as needed. It's a staple of dialogue scenes and ensemble setups.

Insert Shot

An insert shot is a close-up of a specific detail within a scene (a letter, a clock, a ringing phone). It directs the viewer's attention to a story-critical element and is often filmed separately and edited in during post-production, sometimes aided by visual effects to blend it into the sequence.

Point-of-View Shot (POV)

A POV shot shows the audience exactly what a character sees from their perspective. It builds empathy and immersion by putting the viewer directly into the character's experience. POV shots are usually preceded or followed by a reaction shot to anchor the perspective.

Reaction Shot

A reaction shot cuts to a character's face as they respond to something happening in the scene. It's one of the most powerful tools in editing, showing how a character feels about a moment gives the audience an emotional anchor and shapes their own response.

Two-Shot / Group Shot

A two-shot frames two characters in the same frame, while a group shot includes multiple subjects. Both are used to show relationships, dynamics, and interactions. They're common in dialogue scenes, sitcoms, and ensemble films where the connection between characters matters as much as what they're saying.

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