Different Types of Camera Shots and How They Drive Visual Narrative

Learn about different types of camera shots and why they are so important when telling an audiovisual story

Aside from their aesthetic power, camera shots play a vital role in how moments are narrated on the screen. Depending on how the camera frames a situation, the audience will receive information in different ways. This is why it’s essential to learn the names of the different shots and how they drive a narrative.

Extreme Long Shot (ELS)

In this type of shot, the subject is not the focus of the scene. In fact, often they don’t even appear in it. You won’t really notice where the character is; even if you do see them, it will be at a great distance, and they will be very small.

The ELS is often used to introduce a new setting–it shows where the story is taking place, and its function is always descriptive.

Many films often start with an ELS as a way to bring the audience into the place where the story is occurring. Also, given how much information is being transmitted in each frame, this shot can remain on the screen for longer than usual.

Wide Shot

As a rule, the protagonist shouldn’t take up more than a third of the screen in a wide shot. Usually used to show the character in their surroundings, this shot helps the audience to situate them in the scene.

The wide shot clarifies where the story is taking place, but it also shows action and is often cut with action shots that show the entire body, as well as serving to describe locations. To conclude, it is used to put the character in the context of the story.

Long Shot (LS)

Also known as the full shot (FS), in a long shot, the character takes up the entire screen and is shown from head to toe. The place or situation in which the story will develop is shown; however, the main focus of the camera is the character and their actions.

This is used a lot to narrate action and also to show several characters in a context when you want them to be seen in full.

Medium Long Shot (MLS)

This type of shot was invented by Western cinema so that the audience wouldn’t be able to see the characters’ lower half, as it was expensive to make spurs for the entire cast. This shot usually cuts at the height of the knee or sometimes at the thigh.

This is used to show the characters’ actions when the focus of the shot falls on the upper half of the body. It’s one of the most-widely used shots in Hollywood because it allows you to zoom in, making the audience empathize with the character more, without switching to a medium shot.

Medium Shot

With this shot, actions can be narrated; however, it can also be used to bring the audience nearer to the characters’ emotions. We don’t quite get inside the character’s head, but we get closer to them. The shot usually cuts at the actor’s belly button, waist, or event a little higher (if it cuts off at the chest then it is a medium close-up shot).

This is often used for conversations between characters.

Medium Close-up Shot

This shot usually cuts at the chest, always including the character’s shoulders. We get closer to the character’s psychological state. It’s one of the most used, given that you don’t need much in terms of setting or props in order to capture it.

It’s often used when there are conversations in the scene, as it allows you to focus on the conversation while empathizing with whatever the character is feeling.

Close-up Shot

This shot is completely focused on the character’s face, and it’s used to make the audience feel empathetic towards them. It doesn’t mean just showing what they are doing, but also what they are thinking and feeling. Giving its dramatic quality, any gesture becomes very powerful (a simple wink can change a scene entirely).

Detail Shot

These are the shots that show the details, objects, and specific actions in a scene.

They are useful for emphasizing the presence of an object or part of the frame that is particularly important to the narrative. It is also used to show the details of hands, people, feet, or anything else that will help show the audience that what they are seeing is of great importance to the story.

From the video editor’s point of view, they are also useful for fixing cuts, given that they allow them to switch between shots seamlessly.

It is also important to bear in mind that, as we close in, it’s recommended that you cut down the length of the scene as each frame holds less information.

Learn to create your own narrative and filiming style in Juanmi Cristobal course, Audiovisual Editing and Narrative for Short Films.

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