Understanding camera angles and movement in films

Establishing Shot (EST)

• This establishes where the action takes place and sets the scene
• Often an exterior shot
• Usually a wide shot 

Wide Shot (WS)

• Often but not always used as an establishing shot
• The point of this shot is to show the subject's surroundings

Long Shot (LS)

• A shot which shows all or most of a fairly large subjects, for example a person and usually much of the surroundings

Medium Long Shot (MLS)

• Knees to head with some background

Medium Shot (MS)

• Waist to head

Medium Two Shot (M2S)

• Similar to a MS but with two people

Medium Close Up (MCU)

• Head and shoulders

Close Up (CU)

• Shows a characters face
• Used to show emotion

Big Close Up (BCU)

• Forehead to chin
• Used to show extreme emotion

Extreme Close Up (ECU)

• A very tight shot, for example someone's eye or a door handle

Over The Shoulder (OTS)

• Used during a conversation
• MCU and the other persons shoulder/head/back etc

Overhead Shot (OH)

• Camera will be directly over the objects/actors

High Angle (H/A)

• Could be used to make the object/person look powerless

Low Angle (L/A)

• Could be used to make the object/person powerful

Deep Shot (DS)

• When something is in the foreground and something else is in the background