Shots, Cuts, and Camera Movements

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts in film length, shots, cuts, and camera movements.

FRAME

A single image on the strip of film.

REEL

The circular unit that the long rolls of film were wound onto.

SHOT

The moment that the camera starts rolling until the moment it stops.

SCENE

A sequence that the camera captures from start to finish.

SEQUENCE

A scene or a series of scenes that form a distinct narrative unit.

TAKE

Each filmed 'version' of a particular shot or 'setup'.

EXTREME LONG SHOT (XLS)

Frames the subject from a distance and focuses on its surroundings.

LONG SHOT (LS)

A camera shot that balances both the subject and the surrounding imagery.

MEDIUM LONG SHOT (MLS)

A shot that frames a character around the knees and up.

MEDIUM SHOT (MS)

Captured at a medium distance from the subject.

MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU)

Frames the subject from just above the head to just below the chest.

CLOSE-UP (CU)

Photograph or movie shot taken of a subject or object at close range.

EXTREME CLOSE UP (XCU)

A shot that frames the subject as close as possible.

HIGH-ANGLE SHOT

A filming technique where the camera looks down at the subject from above.

LOW-ANGLE SHOT

A shot from a camera angle positioned low on the vertical axis.

EYE-LEVEL SHOT

The camera angle directly at the eye level of the character.

REVERSE-ANGLE SHOT

A shot taken roughly 180 degrees opposite of the shot prior.

AERIAL SHOT

A shot that's taken from an elevated vantage point.

INSERT SHOT

Often a close-up that focuses on a specific detail.

CUT-AWAY

Shot that 'cuts away' from the main action to any shot that adds visual information.

CUTTING ON ACTION

Cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot's action.

PLASTIC CUT/DISSOLVE or MATCH CUT/DISSOLVE

Framing in a successive shot an object which begins with a shape or contour similar to an image in the preceding shot.

JUMP CUT

Breaks a single continuous sequential shot of a subject into two parts.

CRANE SHOT

When a camera is mounted to a moving crane or jib for filmmaking.

DOLLY, TRUCKING, OR TRACKING SHOT

Any camera shot with movement.

PAN

Swiveling a still or video camera horizontally from a fixed position.

SWISH PAN

An intentional camera rotation on the x-axis that creates an often disorienting blur effect.

TILT

Camera stays in a fixed position but rotates up/down in a vertical plane.

ZOOM SHOT

Adjusting the focal length of a lens during a shot.