ABSTRACT
A student in one of my classes raised their hand and declared, “I don't believe in coverage.” Maybe it's something you've said or believe. It's a very interesting statement and worthy of discussion. People confuse what the word “coverage” means. Some think it refers to a standard way of shooting a scene—using a wide master shot, over-the-shoulders, closeups, and always following proper screen direction. That's one way of covering scenes. Some think coverage is about shooting a scene with tons of angles and figuring it all out in the editing room. That's coverage, too. Some think coverage is about choosing angles dictated by rules, devoid of artistic choices or the language of film. Yep, that's coverage as well.
