Film Vocabulary 101: Some Very Important Terms to Know

Every art form has its own language and its own vocabulary. A musician, for example, learns to read music and understand musical terms along with playing the instrument. Film is no different, and these terms are some of the most basic that all filmmakers and film actors should have a good grasp of.
 

Shot- From the moment the camera “rolls” (records) until “cut” is called, this is a shot.

Frame- 1. Each individual still image taken by the camera is a frame.

Four frames from Thomas Edison's Butterfly Dance (1894)

2. Also refers to the borders of what the camera sees and does not see, like a picture frame. Something visible onscreen is in the frame; everything else in out of frame.

Setup- Any time the camera is moved to a new position (either a fixed position or, if the camera moves during the shot, a new starting position), this is a new “setup.”

Coverage- How many setups are used to film a scene. If only one setup is used, this is no coverage. The more setups, the more coverage.

Wide Shot- A shot in which most of a person is visible.

 

Wide Shot.

Medium Shot- A shot closer than a wide shot (often this means a person is seen from the waist up).

Medium Shot.

Close Up- A shot close enough that a person’s head and shoulders fill most of the frame

Close Up.

Note: There are no exact definitions of Wide, Medium or Close Up shots, (in other words, what one person defines as a wide shot may be another person’s medium shot, etc.) but the general principle is important to understand.

There are many, many other sub-varieties of shot, and you can see examples of some of the most common types of shot here. For now, I'll only ask you know Wide Shots, Medium Shots and Close ups.

Master Shot- One shot that contains the whole scene from start to finish and sees all of the action; usually a wide shot. Best to shoot first.

Two-shot- A shot (usually a medium shot) that contains two characters. If it contains three characters, this is sometimes called a “Three-shot.”

Two-shot. (in this case, a Medium Shot)

Singles- A shot that contains only one person, usually a medium shot or close up.

Single. (in this case, a Close Up)

Insert/cutaway- something other than a character’s face that can be “cut to” if needed. Examples include close ups of important props, things characters see, close ups of hands or feet, dogs or cats under the table, etc.

Insert/ cutaway. (in this case, a shot of what Luke is looking at)

Master Scene Technique- A method of shooting the whole scene in a master, then moving to a two-shot, then singles of each character, and finally an insert or two. This gives the editor the most flexibility. Usually the master is a wide shot, the two shot is a medium shot, and the singles are close-ups. Just remember: Master shot, two-shot, single.

Eyeline- an imaginary line connecting the eyes of characters when they make eye contact. 

Eyeline.

Because the actors' eyeline is consistent and the shots are from symmetrical angles, the audience will understand where Luke and Obi Wan are in relation to each other just from where they look when speaking to one another.

Continuity Editing- Cutting on similar movement to imply no time passing between cuts.