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Tutorial 131 - Framing (Field Sizes)
🕑 Added 2016-05-14 09:31:45 +0000 UTC If you ever do sequential art like comics or storyboards, or if you're planning an animation or a film, then some cinematography basics will come in handy.The right framing will serve the story visually, captivating your audience. The wrong framing will bore or confuse your audience.
I've presented the 4 basic shots, as I know them, here in the visual. I added very basic descriptions of each shot, but of course, these are somewhat flexible. Framing is just one of many variables available to the visual storyteller.
Below, I've gone into a little more detail about each shot and their functions.
Establishing Shot Used to establish a scene. Usually communicates time and place to the audience. The establishing shot might also be used to present a mood or concept to the audience. A closeup of tears running down a face, for example, tells the audience that there's someone hurt or upset, setting the scene. The establishing shot might be a blank screen with only audio or text, which teases the audience a little and plays with our expectations. There are many ways to establish a scene.
Full/Long/Wide Shot Used to present an object or figure and it's relationship to the immediate environment. This type of shot might be used for action scenes involving a group or large crowds, or just a solitary figure in a setting. There's no close up detail but we can clearly see at least one full figure and the surroundings. This shot might follow from the establishing shot, giving the audience a bit more local information about place.
Medium Shot The medium shot shows at least one character in a scene, cropping into mostly the upper body area on the figure or figures. It's a good shot to use when presenting two characters who have just entered into a dialogue.
Close-up Used to show detail, like facial expressions and emotions. Designed to impart feelings of intimacy or create a connection between the character and the audience. In general, the framing is of the head and shoulders of the character.
