Types of Shots

The "Shot"
The basic building block of a film, equivalent to sometimes a word, or a sentence in English.

How shots are connected to other shots creates messages and also the film. A sequence is a group of shots connected together by a thematic. A thematic also holds a film together between the many shots and sequences. Most shots are only 2-7 seconds in length, but there are longer shots, like the opening of Touch of evil which is exactly two minutes long.

The following link is one shot that lasts 2:30 seconds. There are no cuts, and minimal camera movement.
The Big Lebowski.

This link is about 40 to 50 shots literally, most of them less than 4 seconds.
Nodding Sequence.

The purpose of these two links is that you understand the use of a cut and what a shot is.

Shot Scale: The Size of the shot, which may or may not change given the camera movement. Most shots are one of three types. Long Shot. Medium Shot, or Close-up. A shot will sometimes start as a Long Shot then pull us into a Medium Shot then a Close-Up with Camera movement.

In the following Clips. Camera movement changes the Shot Scale.

Example

In this example from Kill Bill, the camera moves around changing the shot scale.

In this example. The camera movement changes the shot scale from a Long shot to a medium, then a long shot again.

Camera Movement Changes Shot Scale.

This shot from Goodfellas, starts from a close-up and ends as a medium shot.


Here are visual examples of the types of shot.


Medium Shot.



Usually about half the human figure is present, and there is a level of background. It is the interplay of this background with the figure that is most important that creates the Mis-en-scene or the Juxtaposition. The purpose of the shot is exactly the interplay of the background and the foreground. The Human figure in transition to the objects next to her.

Long Shot:



Long Shot:
Full Human figures are usually shown in a long shot, along with large sections of scenery, The landscape in both the background and the foreground is very important here. It is usually more important than the human figures, but they must be considered in the context of everything.

Establishing Shot:
Specific landscape and visual city/town areas. Human figures are usually very very small. An Establishing shot is a Long Shot usually, but the shot introduces the area, the city, the land as the most important part of the shot.

Close-up:


This type of shot usually shows a human face or an object.

The background is usually insignificant because there is so little of it.

The purpose of the shot is close inspection of the character or human figure, or close inspection of an object.