Overview
Shot type vocabulary is the shared language of filmmaking. Knowing these terms lets you communicate precisely with collaborators, write proper shot lists, and make intentional visual storytelling decisions rather than just pointing a camera and hoping.
What You Need
- A camera or phone
- Our Script & Shot Planner for building a shot list
- A subject and a location to practise with
Steps
Shot size: from extreme wide to extreme close-up
Extreme Wide Shot (EWS): Subject is a tiny figure in a large environment. Establishes location. Wide Shot (WS): Full body visible with surrounding context. Medium Wide / Cowboy Shot: Thighs to top of head. Medium Shot (MS): Waist to top of head. Most interview and talking-head shots. Medium Close-Up (MCU): Chest to top of head. Most TV drama. Close-Up (CU): Face fills the frame. High emotional intensity. Extreme Close-Up (ECU): Eyes, mouth, or a detail. Maximum tension or emphasis.
Camera height and angle
Eye level: Camera at the subject's eye height. Neutral — the default. High angle: Camera looks down. Subject appears smaller, more vulnerable, or less threatening. Low angle: Camera looks up. Subject appears powerful, dominant, or threatening. Dutch angle (canted): Camera tilted on its axis. Creates unease, instability, or disorientation. Bird's eye / overhead: Straight down. Used for action, geography, or abstract visual design. Worm's eye: Extreme low angle, looking straight up.
Camera movement types
Static: Camera doesn't move. Simple, authoritative. Pan: Camera rotates horizontally on its axis. Follows action or reveals a location. Tilt: Camera rotates vertically on its axis. Dolly (tracking): Camera physically moves through space on a track or dolly. Creates depth and parallax. Zoom: Focal length changes, no physical movement. Different visual feel from a dolly. Handheld: Carried by operator. Naturalistic, immediate. Steadicam/gimbal: Handheld with stabilisation. Smooth movement with organic feel.
Building a shot list
A shot list pre-plans every shot in a scene using this vocabulary, so on the day you're executing rather than inventing. For each shot list entry include: shot number, shot type (e.g. MCU), camera angle (e.g. eye level), movement (e.g. static), subject/action, and any notes. Use our Script & Shot Planner to build a shot list that exports to PDF. Shooting without a list wastes time; shooting with one keeps you on schedule.
Pro Tips
- Coverage rule: for any scene with dialogue, always shoot a wide establishing shot, a medium for each character, and close-ups of reactions. This gives the editor enough material to assemble the scene multiple ways.
- The 180-degree rule: keep the camera on one side of an imaginary line between two subjects. Cross it and characters appear to swap sides, confusing spatial orientation.
- Use our Storyboard Generator to sketch shot compositions before filming.