7 Basic

Camera Shots
Extreme Close Up (ECU)

• Can include full face but must include the chin

• Very close in or “tight” on the subject showing intense emotions – eg. subject’s eyes
• Use sparingly – shot size will have more impact when used less
• Also shows fine detail – time on a watch face
• Doesn't include significant setting/background visual information
Extreme Close Up (ECU)

• Can include full face but must include the chin

• Very close in or “tight” on the subject showing intense emotions – eg. subject’s eyes
• Use sparingly – shot size will have more impact when used less
• Also shows fine detail – time on a watch face
• Doesn't include significant setting/background visual information
Extreme Close Up (ECU)

• Can include full face but must include the chin

• Very close in or “tight” on the subject showing intense emotions – eg. subject’s eyes
• Use sparingly – shot size will have more impact when used less
• Also shows fine detail – time on a watch face
• Doesn't include significant setting/background visual information
 Close Up (CU)

• Extends from just above the top of the head and includes top of the shoulders
• Does not include chest
• Do not cut off the subject at the neck, results in a unattractive “floating head”
• Often used to show a subject’s emotions and reactions
• Includes very limited setting/background visual information
 Medium Close Up (MCU)

• Extends from above the head and includes the chest

• Slightly “wider” than a CU shot
• Often used for a subject speaking directly to the camera
• Shot reveals more setting/background visual information
• Allows for small gestures by subject at chest level
 Medium Shot (MS)

• Extends from above the head to just above or below the waist - do not cut off at the waist
• Often called a “waist up” shot in live TV
• Our view of a person during normal conversation
• Shows actions by the subject that occur above the waist
• "Wide" enough to include setting/background visual information
 Medium Wide Shot (MWS)

• Extends from above the head to mid-thigh - do not cut off at knees
• Also known in industry as the “3/4” shot or “Cowboy" shot
• Reveals significant setting/background visual information
• Useful for showing larger gestures by a subject or shows them holding an object
• Effective to show a small group of people
 Medium Wide Shot (MWS)

• Extends from above the head to mid-thigh - do not cut off at knees
• Also known in industry as the “3/4” shot or “Cowboy" shot
• Reveals significant setting/background visual information
• Useful for showing larger gestures by a subject or shows them holding an object
• Effective to show a small group of people
Wide Shot or Long Shot (WS/LS)

• Extends from above the head and includes the feet

• Often called a “head to toe” shot in industry
• Gives the viewer a sense of the subject’s surroundings and shows subject's full range of motion
• Can be wider than head to toe to reveal more setting/background visual information
• Often used to show a large group of people
Extreme Wide/Long Shot (EWS/ELS)

• Emphasizes the location or setting

• The Extreme Wide Shot is often used at the beginning of a scene so the audience
knows where it is taking place
• Often called an “Establishing Shot” as it “establishes” time and place. After
establishing setting tighter shots are used in a "shot sequence" to develop the story.
 4 Advanced
Camera Shots
 Two Shot

• Two Shot (MS) – frames two subjects together, typically

using a medium shot
Over the Shoulder Shot (OTS)

• Framed from behind the person looking towards their

subject (typically framing the person in MCU using the
Rule of Thirds)
 Point of View (POV)

• Framed to create the feeling that the viewer is seeing from

the eyes of the subject (typically taken from the eye level
of the subject)
 Point of View (POV)

• Framed to create the feeling that the viewer is seeing from

the eyes of the subject (typically taken from the eye level
of the subject)
 Cutaway Shot (CA)

• Footage of something that happens off camera from the

main action that is used to help tell the story
 Student Activity
Expectation: Student must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of
the 7 basic camera shots

Requirements:

• Work in pairs

• Use your personal device or school camera to take photos of the following
Basic Camera Shots: EWS/ELS, WS/LS, MWS, MS, MCU, CU, ECU

• Import all 7 basic camera shots into Photoshop and label each with the
correct name and abbreviation

• Save the file as a Photoshop PDF

• Airdrop file to Mr. Elsie’s computer at the end of period tomorrow