Framing/Shot Distance

There are many different types of shots that you can use, and they are all used for a reason, to maybe get a reaction, to give the viewer a feel for how big something is, e.t.c.

• This is a Extreme Close Up (ECU) - 

This shot is to get right in and up close to something, to get extreme detail.  This shot could be used in a dramatic scene, to create suspension.

In this shot, the extreme close up was used to show what he was seeing, by the reflection in his glasses.  Half his face is in the dark which creates mystery and it could mean that he has a dark side to him.  A little bit of the shot shows the setting in which he is in and in this case it is raining and dark.  This is used to make the scene more intense and mysterious.

• This is a Close Up (CU) -

 In this shot, a certain feature or part of the subject takes up most of the frame. A close-up of a person emphasizes their emotional state and the viewer is drawn into the subject's personal space and shares their feelings.

In this scene, the use of the close up shot means that you can see that this character has no emotion and the use of make up on this person is very good, because it creates a false emotion for the character.

• This is a Medium/Close Up Shot (MCS) - 

The medium closeup is half way between a mid shot and a close up. This shot shows the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close.

In this scene, because of the use of the medium close up shot, you can see that she is troubled and has a lot on her mind.  Behind her is just black and there is a shadow cast on one side of her face, this could signify that something has happened to her in the past and this is what's troubling her.

• This is a Medium Shot (MS) - 

The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject.  The medium shot is appropriate when the subject is speaking without too much emotion or intense concentration. 

In this shot, they have used a medium shot to not only get the emotion on the characters face, but also the state in which he is in.  He has obviously been on the ground a lot, maybe due to fighting or an explosion.  He also has cuts on his face and body indicating that he has been hit or thrown down.

• This is a Long Shot (LS) - 

In the long shot, the subject takes up the full frame.  Obviously the subject doesn't take up the whole width and height of the frame, since this is as close as we can get without losing any part of the people in the scene.

 This long shot is used to get both the characters in and their surroundings .  They are down an alley way, maybe starting off their day as they have coffee.  They are both well dress, signifying, they are not short of money, and they have jobs in which they need to smartly dressed for.  Both their body languages indicates that they are in happy and they are comfortably around each other, because of how close they are standing to one another.