Shot (film)
Encyclopedia
In film
, a shot is a continuous strip of motion picture film, created of a series of frames, that runs for an uninterrupted period of time. Shots are generally filmed with a single camera
and can be of any duration
. A shot in production, defined by the beginning and end of a capturing process, is equivalent to a clip
in editing, defined as the continuous footage between two edits. Frames, shots, clips, scenes, and sequence
s form a hierarchy of units fundamental to many tasks in the creation of moving-image works.
The etymology of the term "shot" derives from the early days of film production when camera were hand-cranked. Hand-cranked cameras operated similarly to the hand-cranked machine guns of that era. Therefore, one "shot" film the way one would "shoot" bullets from a machine gun.
The term shot is often incorrectly applied to the field size of an image which at times is also incorrectly referred to as framing. The field size defines how much of the subject and its surrounding area is visible within the camera's field of view
, and is determined by two factors: Camera-to-subject distance and focal length
of a lens. Note that the shorter a lens's focal length, the wider its angle of view
(the 'angle' in wide-angle lens
, for instance, which is "how much you see"), so the same idea can also be expressed as that the lens's angle of view plus camera-subject distance is the camera's field of view.
(Caution: In this context, the focal length value differs with each film gauge
and CCD
size for optical reasons, but the angle of view is the same for any of them, so it's easier comparing the angle of view with lenses for different formats than their focal lengths. Same angle of view does always give the same field size at the same camera-subject distance no matter what format you're using, same focal length does not. For in-depth informations behind the laws of optics regarding the influence that focal length and different formats have on field sizes, see 35 mm equivalent focal length
, crop factor
, image sensor format
, and Digital photography: Sensor size and angle of view.)
An identical field size can be achieved at varied camera-subject distances by using a lens with a different focal length, and at varied focal lengths by choosing a different camera-subject distance. Field size differs from framing in that within professional environments where prime lens
es are dominant, the latter applies only to camera placement (including camera angle), not focal length.
However, maintaining an identical field size at varying camera-subject distances and focal lengths must be handled with caution as it applies different amounts of perspective distortion
to the image: Wide-angle lens
es expand a perspective, while long focus lenses compress a perspective (the famous dolly zoom
, taken with a variable focal length lens, is a vivid, intuitive demonstration of this effect). Thus, it's more common in photography and cinematography to determine an image's field size by only changing two out of the two factors.
The field size (along with the specific amount of perspective distortion) greatly affects the narrative
power of a shot. There are a number of standardized field sizes, the names of which are commonly derived from varying camera-subject distances while not changing the lens. The four basic kinds of field sizes (see gallery above) are:
Three rarer used field sizes (see bar on the right) are:
There are other variants, such as the medium close up (between medium and close up), and terms for moving in (such as "lean-in") and moving out (such as "lean-out").
, and is one of the central arts of filmmaking.
The average shot length (ASL) of a film is one of its cinemetrical measures. For example, The Mist
has a length of 117 minutes and consists of 1292 shots, so the ASL is 5.4 seconds, while Russian Ark
is a single 96-minute long take
, so an ASL of 96 minutes or about 5,760 seconds, a factor of 1,000 difference.
Shots with extremely long durations are difficult to do because any error in the shot would force the filmmaker to restart from scratch, and are thus only occasionally used. Films famous for their long cuts
include Francis Ford Coppola
's The Godfather
in which the entire first scene is a long take featuring Bonasera describing the assault of his daughter, and Alfred Hitchcock
's Rope
, which only cuts at the end of each reel
, and does so surreptitiously so that it seems as if the whole film is one take. Orson Welles
's Touch of Evil
opens with a long tracking crane shot. A film that was actually a single take is the recent Russian Ark
. Another prominent examples known for its extremely long takes are Stanley Kubrick
's 2001: A Space Odyssey
, and the works of Andrei Tarkovsky
starting with Solaris
. Béla Tarr
is also known for using long takes in his films. Joss Whedon's feature film Serenity
introduces the main characters with a long take.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, a shot is a continuous strip of motion picture film, created of a series of frames, that runs for an uninterrupted period of time. Shots are generally filmed with a single camera
Single-camera setup
The single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, is a method of filmmaking and video production. A single camera—either motion picture camera or professional video camera—is employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken individually...
and can be of any duration
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
. A shot in production, defined by the beginning and end of a capturing process, is equivalent to a clip
Media clip
A media clip is a short segment of media, either an audio clip or a video clip.Media clips may be promotional in nature, as with movie clips. For example, to promote upcoming movies, many actors are accompanied by movie clips on their circuits. Additionally, media clips may be raw materials of...
in editing, defined as the continuous footage between two edits. Frames, shots, clips, scenes, and sequence
Sequence (film)
In film, a sequence is a series of scenes which form a distinct narrative unit, usually connected either by unity of location or unity of time. For example a heist film might include an extended recruitment sequence in which the leader of the gang collects together the conspirators, a robbery...
s form a hierarchy of units fundamental to many tasks in the creation of moving-image works.
The etymology of the term "shot" derives from the early days of film production when camera were hand-cranked. Hand-cranked cameras operated similarly to the hand-cranked machine guns of that era. Therefore, one "shot" film the way one would "shoot" bullets from a machine gun.
By field size
Field of view
The field of view is the extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment....
, and is determined by two factors: Camera-to-subject distance and focal length
Focal length
The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light. For an optical system in air, it is the distance over which initially collimated rays are brought to a focus...
of a lens. Note that the shorter a lens's focal length, the wider its angle of view
Angle of view
In photography, angle of view describes the angular extent of a given scene that is imaged by a camera. It is used interchangeably with the more general term field of view....
(the 'angle' in wide-angle lens
Wide-angle lens
From a design perspective, a wide angle lens is one that projects a substantially larger image circle than would be typical for a standard design lens of the same focal length; this enables either large tilt & shift movements with a view camera, or lenses with wide fields of view.More informally,...
, for instance, which is "how much you see"), so the same idea can also be expressed as that the lens's angle of view plus camera-subject distance is the camera's field of view.
(Caution: In this context, the focal length value differs with each film gauge
Film gauge
Film gauge is a physical property of photographic or motion picture film stock which defines its width. Traditionally the major film gauges in usage are 8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm, and 65/70 mm...
and CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
size for optical reasons, but the angle of view is the same for any of them, so it's easier comparing the angle of view with lenses for different formats than their focal lengths. Same angle of view does always give the same field size at the same camera-subject distance no matter what format you're using, same focal length does not. For in-depth informations behind the laws of optics regarding the influence that focal length and different formats have on field sizes, see 35 mm equivalent focal length
35 mm equivalent focal length
In photography, the 35 mm equivalent focal length is a measure that indicates the angle of view of a particular combination of a camera lens and film or sensor size...
, crop factor
Crop factor
In digital photography, a crop factor is related to the ratio of the dimensions of a camera's imaging area compared to a reference format; most often, this term is applied to digital cameras, relative to 35 mm film format as a reference. In the case of digital cameras, the imaging device would be a...
, image sensor format
Image sensor format
In digital photography, the image sensor format is the shape and size of the image sensor.The image sensor format of a digital camera determines the angle of view of a particular lens when used with a particular camera...
, and Digital photography: Sensor size and angle of view.)
An identical field size can be achieved at varied camera-subject distances by using a lens with a different focal length, and at varied focal lengths by choosing a different camera-subject distance. Field size differs from framing in that within professional environments where prime lens
Prime lens
In film and photography, a prime lens is either a photographic lens whose focal length is fixed, as opposed to a zoom lens, or it is the primary lens in a combination lens system....
es are dominant, the latter applies only to camera placement (including camera angle), not focal length.
However, maintaining an identical field size at varying camera-subject distances and focal lengths must be handled with caution as it applies different amounts of perspective distortion
Perspective distortion (photography)
In photography and cinematography, perspective distortion is a warping or transformation of an object and its surrounding area that differs significantly from what the object would look like with a normal focal length, due to the relative scale of nearby and distant features...
to the image: Wide-angle lens
Wide-angle lens
From a design perspective, a wide angle lens is one that projects a substantially larger image circle than would be typical for a standard design lens of the same focal length; this enables either large tilt & shift movements with a view camera, or lenses with wide fields of view.More informally,...
es expand a perspective, while long focus lenses compress a perspective (the famous dolly zoom
Dolly zoom
The dolly zoom is an unsettling in-camera effect that appears to undermine normal visual perception. It is part of many cinematic techniques used in filmmaking and television production....
, taken with a variable focal length lens, is a vivid, intuitive demonstration of this effect). Thus, it's more common in photography and cinematography to determine an image's field size by only changing two out of the two factors.
The field size (along with the specific amount of perspective distortion) greatly affects the narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
power of a shot. There are a number of standardized field sizes, the names of which are commonly derived from varying camera-subject distances while not changing the lens. The four basic kinds of field sizes (see gallery above) are:
- the long shotLong shotIn photography, filmmaking and video production, a long shot typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings...
(often used as an establishing shotEstablishing shotAn establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects...
), - the full shot (also figure shot, complete view, or medium long shot),
- the medium shotMedium shotIn film, a medium shot is a camera shot from a medium distance. The dividing line between "long shot" and "medium shot" is fuzzy, as is the line between "medium shot" and "close-up"...
, - the close-upClose-upIn filmmaking, television production, still photography and the comic strip medium a close-up tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots . Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene...
.
Three rarer used field sizes (see bar on the right) are:
- the extreme long shot (used for epic views and panoramas),
- the American shotAmerican shot"American shot" is a translation of a phrase from French film criticism, "plan américain" and refers to a medium-long film shot of a group of characters, who are arranged so that all are visible to the camera...
(also 3/4 shot), a slight variation of the medium shot to also include OWB handgun holsters in Western moviesWestern (genre)The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, a characterization from French film criticismFilm criticismFilm criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films, individually and collectively. In general, this can be divided into journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, and other popular, mass-media outlets and academic criticism by film scholars that is informed by film theory and...
for a type of shot in certain American films of the 1930s and 1940s, - the "Italian shot" or Extreme Close Up (ECU or XCU), where only a person's eyes are visible, named after the genre of Italo-WesternsSpaghetti WesternSpaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
, particularly the Dollars TrilogyDollars TrilogyThe "Dollars Trilogy" , also known as the "Man with No Name Trilogy", refers to the three Spaghetti Westerns starring Clint Eastwood and directed by Sergio Leone: A Fistful of Dollars , For a Few Dollars More , and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly .A Fistful of Dollars is an unofficial remake of...
by Sergio LeoneSergio LeoneSergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
, that established this particular field size.
There are other variants, such as the medium close up (between medium and close up), and terms for moving in (such as "lean-in") and moving out (such as "lean-out").
By camera placement
"Shots" referring to camera placement and angle rather than field size include:- Camera angles:
- the aerial shotAerial shotAerial shots are usually done with a crane or with a camera attached to a special helicopter to view large landscapes. This sort of shot would be restricted to exterior locations. A good area to do this shot would be a scene that takes place on a building. If the aerial shot is of a character it...
, - the bird's eye shotBird's eye shotIn filmmaking and video production, a bird's-eye shot refers to a shot looking directly down on the subject. The perspective is very foreshortened, making the subject appear short and squat. This shot can be used to give an overall establishing shot of a scene, or to emphasise the smallness or...
(sometimes performed as a crane shotCrane shotIn filmmaking and video production a crane shot is a shot taken by a camera on a crane. The most obvious uses are to view the actors from above or to move up and away from them, a common way of ending a movie. Some filmmakers like to have the camera on a boom arm just to make it easier to move...
), - the low-angle shotLow-angle shotIn cinematography, a low-angle shot, is a shot from a camera positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eyeline, looking up.-Famous examples:...
,
- the aerial shot
- the over the shoulder shotOver the shoulder shotIn film or video, an over the shoulder shot is a shot of someone or something taken from the perspective or camera angle from the shoulder of another person. The back of the shoulder and head of this person is used to frame the image of whatever the camera is pointing toward...
, - the point of view shotPoint of view shotA point of view shot is a short film scene that shows what a character is looking at . It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the character's reaction...
, - the reverse shotShot reverse shotShot reverse shot is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character , and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character...
is defined as a 180-degree camera turn to the preceding image, common in point of view and over the shoulder (in the latter, care must be applied to avoid a continuity error by violating the 180 degree rule180 degree ruleIn filmmaking, the 180° rule is a basic guideline that states that two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line...
), - the two shotTwo shotA Two shot is a type of shot employed in the film industry in which the frame encompasses a view of two people . The subjects do not have to be next to each other, and there are many common two-shots which have one subject in the foreground and the other subject in the background.The shots are also...
where two people are in the picture.
By other criteria
- the establishing shotEstablishing shotAn establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects...
is defined by giving an establishing "broad overview" over a scene, whether performed by a wide shot with a fixed camera, a zoom, a series of different close-ups achieved by camera motion, or a sequence of independent close-angle shots edited right after each other, - the master shotMaster shotA master shot is a film recording of an entire dramatized scene, from start to finish, from an angle that keeps all the players in view. It is often a long shot and can sometimes perform a double function as an establishing shot...
is a scene done in one single take, with no editing, - the freeze frame shotFreeze frame shotA freeze frame shot is used when one shot is printed in a single frame several times, in order to make an interesting illusion of a still photograph....
is created in editing by displaying a single frame for an elongated duration of time, - the insert shotInsert (film)In film, an insert is a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length from the master shot. Inserts cover action already covered in the master shot, but emphasize a different aspect of that action due to the different framing...
is created in editing by replacing a picture with another while the audio stays the same (common in interviews to illustrate topics mentioned).
Film editing
Cutting between shots taken at different times is known as film editingFilm editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
, and is one of the central arts of filmmaking.
Duration
The length of shots is an important consideration that can greatly affect a film. The purpose of editing any given scene is to create a representation of the way the scene might be perceived by the "story teller." Shots with a longer duration can make a scene seem more relaxed and slower paced whereas shots with a shorter duration can make a scene seem urgent and faster paced.The average shot length (ASL) of a film is one of its cinemetrical measures. For example, The Mist
The Mist (film)
The Mist is a 2007 American science-fiction horror film based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film is written and directed by Frank Darabont, who had previously adapted Stephen King's works The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile...
has a length of 117 minutes and consists of 1292 shots, so the ASL is 5.4 seconds, while Russian Ark
Russian Ark
Russian Ark is a 2002 Russian historical drama film directed by Alexander Sokurov. It was filmed entirely in the Winter Palace of the Russian State Hermitage Museum using a single 96-minute Steadicam sequence shot...
is a single 96-minute long take
Long take
A long take is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished...
, so an ASL of 96 minutes or about 5,760 seconds, a factor of 1,000 difference.
Shots with extremely long durations are difficult to do because any error in the shot would force the filmmaker to restart from scratch, and are thus only occasionally used. Films famous for their long cuts
Long take
A long take is an uninterrupted shot in a film which lasts much longer than the conventional editing pace either of the film itself or of films in general, usually lasting several minutes. It can be used for dramatic and narrative effect if done properly, and in moving shots is often accomplished...
include Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
in which the entire first scene is a long take featuring Bonasera describing the assault of his daughter, and Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's Rope
Rope (film)
Rope is a 1948 American thriller film based on the play Rope by Patrick Hamilton and adapted by Hume Cronyn and Arthur Laurents, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Sidney Bernstein and Hitchcock as the first of their Transatlantic Pictures productions...
, which only cuts at the end of each reel
Reel
A reel is an object around which lengths of another material are wound for storage. Generally a reel has a cylindrical core and walls on the sides to retain the material wound around the core...
, and does so surreptitiously so that it seems as if the whole film is one take. Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
's Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil is a 1958 American crime thriller film, written, directed by, and co-starring Orson Welles. The screenplay was loosely based on the novel Badge of Evil by Whit Masterson...
opens with a long tracking crane shot. A film that was actually a single take is the recent Russian Ark
Russian Ark
Russian Ark is a 2002 Russian historical drama film directed by Alexander Sokurov. It was filmed entirely in the Winter Palace of the Russian State Hermitage Museum using a single 96-minute Steadicam sequence shot...
. Another prominent examples known for its extremely long takes are Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
, and the works of Andrei Tarkovsky
Andrei Tarkovsky
Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky was a Soviet and Russian filmmaker, writer, film editor, film theorist, theatre and opera director, widely regarded as one of the finest filmmakers of the 20th century....
starting with Solaris
Solaris (1972 film)
Solaris is a 1972 film adaptation of the novel Solaris , directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. The film is a meditative psychological drama occurring mostly aboard a space station orbiting the fictional planet Solaris. The scientific mission has stalled, because the scientist crew have fallen to...
. Béla Tarr
Béla Tarr
-Life:Tarr was born in Pécs, but grew up in Budapest. Both of his parents were close to theatre and film: his father was a scenery designer, while his mother has been working as a prompter at a theater for more than 50 years now...
is also known for using long takes in his films. Joss Whedon's feature film Serenity
Serenity (film)
Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...
introduces the main characters with a long take.