Extreme Close Up ShotA shot that is so tight that a lot of detail can be seen in the image. For example, someone's eyes, lips, or other details of the face.
In the example on the right, lots of small details can be seen on the butterfly that would perhaps not be seen at a normal glance. |
Close up shotIn a close up shot, a certain feature or part of the subject takes up the majority of the frame. If a close up is focused on a person, it would usually show their face or a part of their body, such as their hands.
In the example on the right, the butterfly takes up the majority of the shot is taken up by the butterfly and the focus is on the butterfly, not the background. |
Medium Close Up ShotIn a medium close up shot, the focus is mainly on the subject's face (if a person, a shot of their head and stops around the middle of their chest). This type of shot can be seen used a lot in documentaries and interviews.
Due to there being little of the background in focus, the focus is on the main subject (in the example on the right, the focus is the sleeping cat, "Marmie"). |
Medium ShotA medium shot is sometimes referred to as the 'waist shot', as when the subject is a human, it will stop around their waist. This shot is also commonly used in documentaries and interviews.
In the example on the right, the focus is on the giraffes but you can see more background, as opposed to the medium close up shot of Marmie the cat. You can still see what the giraffes are doing against the background, but you can not see the whole of the giraffe, just their main bodies. |
Medium Long ShotThis shot can also be referred to as the three-quarter shot (this makes more sense when looking at a shot of a human; it will generally have the person from the knees up). MLS show the subject and allow you to see what they are doing in the surrounding area. This shot can also be used as a group shot, showing 2-3 people whilst possibly having a conversation.
In the example of the right, you can see Buddie the Dalmatian smelling the flowers; you can see what he is doing in relation to his surroundings. |
Long ShotThis shot is also referred to as a full shot (as when the subject is a human, it will show their whole body). It places the subject in the environment they are surrounded by.
Although the focus in the example on the right is the elephants, you can still see what is going on around it and the environment they are in. You can't see the elephants reactions on their faces, but you can see what they are doing (walking around in this case). |
Extreme Long ShotAlso known as extreme wide shots and establishing shots, this shot covered a vast area and mainly shows the area the shot is taking place, and although you could be able to see a full character, you wouldn't be able to see any facial expressions. As an establishing shot, this will give context, e.g. showing where the next scene will be taking place.
In the example on the right, there is no real focus in the shot, but you can see that the shot is taking place in a rural area. |