ABSTRACT
The primary component of manga storytelling is what goes on within the borders of a single panel. A close-up is useful to frame a panel on a person speaking or manipulating an object. A close-up can sometimes be followed by a panel with the same shot, but further out. A person in a long shot would be visible from head to foot and could take up most of the panel, or be as tiny as a dot. In that first establishing shot panel, it is perfectly acceptable to start the scene’s conversation. Often, this is done with speech balloons without a tail, indicating that the speakers are inside, rather than outside. Though the reader may be momentarily unsure of which balloon belongs to which person, these balloons can bring the reader into the conversation from the very beginning of the scene.
