Cinematography definitions - shot types

A list of definitions of cinematography terms:

Shot types

Extreme Long Shot

(Is used to contextualise a scene and establish the setting - can be called an Establishing Shot also)
 

Long Shot

These shots feature the entire body within the frame, usually to show where a character or object is moving in a scene.

Medium Shot
Medium shots provide additional detail to show characters' emotions but with enough space for them to move around in the frame.


Medium Close Up
A Medium Close Up is a variant of the Close Up, and normally features a character from the chest up.





Close Up
A Close-Up typically features a character from the shoulders up. These are commonly used in Television Dramas as they show facial expressions.



Extreme Close Up
A variant of the Close Up, these shots can be of a part of an actor's face or an object in order to show small details for dramatic impact.