Media Terminology - shots

Media Terminology - shots



Establishing shot: In motion pictures and television production, opening shot that establishes the environment of a show or scene. The establishing shot usually has a wide field of view and serves to orient the audience to the surroundings of the situation they are about to see.

Master shot: A single shot that includes the complete scene from its start to the finish.  Usually a master shot is filmed and then the rest of the other kinds of shots (close-ups...etc) are then shot later.


Close-up: A photograph or a television shot in which the subject is tightly framed and shown at a relatively large scale.

Mid shot: In film, a medium shot is a camera shot from a medium distance.

Long shot: Long Shot: A long shot typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings.


Wide Shot: A wide shot reveals where the scene is taking place


Two shot: a medium-range camera shot of two persons


Aerial Shot: Aerial shots are usually done with a crane or with a camera attached to a special helicopter to view large landscapes. This sort of shot would be restricted to exterior locations.


Point Of View Shot:  A short scene in a film that shows what a character is looking at. It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the character's reaction.


Over the Shoulder Shot: A shot that gives us a character's point of view but that includes part of that character's shoulder or the side of the head in the shot.