These are the basic camera shots and names.

1. Shots, framing and meaning
Camera basics 16:9
aspect ratio
9
16

2. neutral
camera
height
subjective
Extreme long shot (XLS/WA)
subject very small in frame. Male or female?
used to open a sequence - where are we?

3. neutral
camera
height
subjective
Very long shot (VLS)
subject is about 3rd screen space
used to introduce a person but not identify them

4. neutral
camera
height
subjective
long shot (LS)
subject fills the frame
used to introduce a someone often in motion

5. neutral
camera
height
subjective
medium long shot (MLS)
subject is cut by the frame above/below knees
we recognise but lack detail esp. eyes

6. neutral
camera
height
subjective
medium shot (MS)
frame cuts subject below waist & elbow
Direction of gaze draws attention

7. neutral
camera
height
subjective
medium close up (MCU)
frame cuts subject below arm joint
facial expressions emphasised - not intrusive

8. neutral
camera
height
subjective
close up (CU)
frame cuts subject above arm joint - not neck!
emphasises intimacy, secrecy etc

9. neutral
camera
height
subjective
big close up (BCU)
frame cuts subject above brow, above chin
extreme emotion

10. neutral
camera
height
subjective
extreme close up (ECU)
frame features just eyes or eyes and nose
intrusive and powerful

11. neutral
camera
height
camera
left
camera
right
objective
interviews MCU - headroom
subject rotated slightly and not looking to camera
3/4 profile

12. neutral
camera
height
camera
left
camera
right
objective
interviews - looking room
definite ‘eyeline’, framed camera left or right
3/4 profile

13. neutral
camera
height
objective
eyeline
eyeline
interviews - matching MCUs
these shots need to balance each other

14. More reading
‘The Grammar of the shot’. Roy
Thompson