Calling the Shots

Post by: Emily McTyre

So first thing’s first, film has its own language. In each area of the production process, a multitude of abbreviations and slang ultimately translate to what you see on screen. In this post, though, I’m going to focus on shots specifically. These are just the basics to use when analyzing a scene or composing a shot list. Use these terms to communicate your vision effectively and efficiently to your teammates and audience.

Ready for your close up?

Close up shots are used to convey intimacy, to highlight actions and reactions, and/or to depict the emotions of a given character.

Extreme Close-Up (ECU/XCU)

• This is very much a detail shot.

• The framing normally only consists of one facial feature like the eyes, ears, mouth, or hands.

• Sometimes it is used to convey a sense of discomfort or extreme intimacy or vulnerability.

• There is no place for context, so normally this type of shot is paired with a wider perspective of the subject in order to clue the audience into who it is and what is going on.

Close-Up (CU)

• This type of shot is also called a “head shot”.

• This framing consists of a subject’s face, normally from the hairline down to the chin or shoulders.

• Through this shot, the actor is able to convey minute emotions in the eyes, mouth, and other muscles in the face.

• The audience is concentrated on the subject without any surrounding distractions.

Not too hot, not too cold.

Medium shots give filmmakers a wider choice of framing options when planning out a sequence. These shot types fill in the middle of the spectrum, dabbling in close-up’s as well as wide.

Medium Close-Up (MCU)

• The framing of this shot normally starts at the chest, definitely above the elbow.

• Facial features are still noticeable, so emotions are translated easily.

• It is commonly used when actors are performing without much movement.

Medium Shot (MS)

• Framing normally captures from above the head to the waist.

• Rather than facial features, the whole body’s actions are more noticeable.

Medium Wide Shot (MWS)

• This is the first shot on the wide spectrum to cut off part of the body of a subject.

• Framing starts above the head and ends somewhere on the leg, normally just above the knee.

• This is also sometimes called a “cowboy” shot because it was used in Westerns to show a character’s gun holster.

How big can we go?

Wide shots are used for bigger picture filmmaking…literally. To show more of the character’s surroundings, establish settings, and more, filmmakers use wide shots.

Wide Shot (WS)

• This type of framing includes the subject’s entire body.

• Context is present, but the subject is still the focus of the shot.

Extreme Wide Shot (EWS/XWS)

• This type of shot is most commonly used in exterior shots.

• The environment takes up the majority of the screen, and the subject is a part of that larger image.

• These show the when and where of a scene.

• Normally this shot is used as an establishing shot or to show a landscape.

Summary: Know your abbreviations!

• ECU/XCU: Extreme Close-Up

• CU: Close-Up

• MCU: Medium Close-Up

• MS: Medium Shot

• MWS: Medium Wide Shot

• WS: Wide Shot

• EWS/XWS: Extreme Wide Shot

So now you know some of the lingo! There are so many options and so many ways to add them to an artistic work. Each type helps filmmakers express details, places, and people on the screen. Go put your new knowledge to good use!