Cinema, as an audio-visual medium relies on both sound and images to convey a message. Character magnification is the size of the character(s) in the frame. As the narrative progresses, the emotional connection of the film to its viewers is an absolute necessity. So, character magnification shown through shot sizes is an essential tool in the filmmaker's toolkit. These help establish the rhythm, meaning and the look of a scene in the film. These shot sizes can be divided commonly into the following types.
The Extreme Long Shot (ELS) : This is typically used to establish the vast environment around the character/subject. These are used commonly in the beginning of films or scenes in films. These shots are also used to make the character look powerless or minuscule in the grand scale of things.
In Sci-Fi films, these shots are used to establish the fictional environment/world, making the audience acquainted with the surrounding the character is in.
The Wide Shot : Similar to the ELS, the wide shot also make the audience aware of the environment around the subject(s). But, a wide shot is used typically to establish the placement of it's character(s) in the environment. It has to do with the spatial orientation of the subjects in the frame, establish who is where.
The Wide Shot is also used to show the scale of the subject in the scene or display the relationship of the subject(s) with the environment. It is also used to give a sign of loneliness or the sense of being lost.
The Full Shot (FS) : When a character is framed from its head to toe, it is called a Full Shot. This kind of shot is often used to establish the physicality and the costume of a subject in the scene. Full shots help the filmmaker to also establish and show the body language and posture of the subject.
Medium Full Shot (MFS)/Cowboy Shot : A MFS, frames the subject from just above eir knees to just above the head. This is also called the cowboy shot as the framing ends just below the waist (typically just below the gun holster position of a cowboy). This shot gives the character a position of power and makes them look intimidating or dangerous. These shots work extremely well when weapons are involved.
The Medium Shot (MS) : A medium shot is the most used shot size in cinema all over the world. This frames a subject from above the waist, just below the chest to just above the head. This shot is a neutral angle and looks more like we see and interact with people in real life. This is used to get the best of both worlds. It is neither as dramatic as a close up nor too jarring as a wide shot.
The Medium Closeup (MCU) : This shot size frames the subjects from mid chest to just above their heads. It is used to draw the attention of the viewers to the emotions and expressions of the character without losing their physicality or environment completely. It is a bit more dramatic than the medium shot as it focuses the gaze of the audience towards the eyes of the character better.
The Closeup Shot (CU) : Framed at the eye level,the Closeup shot is the most dramatic shot in the filmmaker's toolkit. This is the best way to show a change of emotion or dramatize an expression on the beat of the score. Close ups are used to connect the character(s)' emotions and feelings to the viewers. This shot can be used to terrify, bring joy, sorrow, disorient or trigger a spectrum of emotional change in the viewers depending on the the character's performance.
The Extreme Close up Shot (ECU) : The ECU frames a particular area of the subject to isolate it and draw the full attention of the viewers towards it. This can be any part of the subject, but especially the eyes are the obvious choice mostly. This shot size is also used in Insert shots to draw the attention to anything important in the frame that helps the story to move forward.
The shot size is the building blocks of the storytelling in films. The filmmaker can choose the right shot size to induce a particular emotion that drives the narrative forward and thus accentuating the beauty of the film.
- Siddharth Padhee
Everything-Film
27-06-2020
Kaaafi informative. And well explained. ❤️ Keep up the good work mate you doing great 💜
It is a really good description of different shots I really enjoyed reading about the shots
keep up the good work