Language of the Screen

Shot composition stuff. Exciting, ne?

ECU - EXTREME CLOSE UP - shows part of an object in extremely close detail. (H-Ref 1)

BCU - Big Close Up -Very intimate shot. Great in dramatic moments when the actor is giving their all. (H-ref 4)


CU - Close Up -You can see the look of concentration in a shot that is "full face". Sometimes used for interviews - especially when things are getting personal. (H-ref 4)


MCU - Medium Close Up -Between CU and MS. Cuts off a person around the "breast pocket" (H-Ref 4)


MS -Mid Shot - shows more detail than a long shot, but not as much of a close-up (H-Ref 3)


MLS - Medium Long Shot - The mid shot cuts off at the waist. It is a good shot to introduce people to your audience. You get a good image of the subject and their surroundings. (H-Ref 4)


LS - Long Shot -The long shot takes in the whole height of the person. It doesn't show as much background as the VLS but it does show enough to know the subject's location. (H-Ref 4)


WS - Wide Shot - covers the action of the scene in a wide or panoramic view. (H-Ref 2)



Aww pretty kitty... er... yeah...
And now, here's me killing time, with a guest appearance from Butters:



Bibliography
H-Ref 1 - English Online
english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/piano/film_terms.html

H-Ref 2 -Video Boot Camp
www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch634/medialit/video/camera.html

H-Ref 3 - Australian Screen
http://australianscreen.com.au/glossary/

H-Ref 4 - Shot Sizes
http://www.urbanfox.tv/creative/shotsizes.html