ABSTRACT
Our raw material is in the form of photographed shots, and our tools are the skills with which we put those shots together. Mid-shots (MS) are generally framed down to the waist, and therefore not as good at showing facial expressions, but they work well to show body language. A medium close-up, or Medium Close-Up (MCU), frames the subject's head and shoulders; it is halfway between a mid-shot and a close-up. It is probably the most commonly used shot where spoken dialogue is involved. A long shot (LS) is a slightly vague term. A long shot of a person is a very different size of shot from a long shot of a building. Sometimes, this type of shot is more properly referred to as a full-length shot. Sometimes referred to as a full shot, a wide shot, or WS, typically shows the entire setting, with the intention of placing characters or objects in some relation to their surroundings.
