Creation: screen lingo

Ahh, film! This course is brilliant.

For the aspiring filmmaker (I being one), there are certain terms that one must understand. The various shot types used in the production of moving pictures are rapidly becoming commonplace knowledge as more and more high schools are offering film and television subjects. These shot types are used to describe the distance between the camera and the subject and they are as follows: Extreme Close-Up (ECU or XCU), Big Close-Up (BCU), Close-Up (CU), Medium Close-Up (MCU), Mid Shot (MS), Medium Long Shot (MLS), Long Shot (LS), Very Long Shot/Wide Shot (VLS or WS).

Extreme Close-Up

The extreme close-up (ECU) singles out a portion of the face (often eyes or lips) or isolates and magnifies an object.
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Big Close-Up

The big close-up (BCU) comes in between the extreme close-up and the close-up. It is usually a shot of a persons face, brow to lips. This is useful for people with ugly hair and shoulders.
Kidding.
Image sourced from here

Close-Up

The close-up (CU) is traditionally the shot showing just the head, hands, feet, or a small object. It emphasizes facial expression, the details of a gesture, or a significant object.
Image sourced from here

Medium Close-Up

The medium close-up (MCU) shows the entire face and a portion of the body.
Image sourced from here

Mid Shot

The mid shot (MS) frames the human body from the waist up.
Image sourced from here

Medium Long Shot

The medium long shot (MLS) is usually a shot of the human body from the knees up.
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Long Shot

In the long shot (LS), figures are visible but the background dominates.
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Very Long Shot/Wide Shot

In the Very Long Shot/Wide Shot (VLS or WS), the human body occupies a very small portion of the frame. It is often hard to distinguish one character from another.
Image sourced from here

Bibliography:

Bordwell, D & Thompson, K 2006, Chapter 5: The Shot: Cinematography in Film Art: An Introduction 8^th ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.

"White Noise (2005)." Movie Screenshots. Web. 14 Aug. 2009. (Link to site)

"Transformers 2 Review: Transformers 2 Screenshots." Transformers 2 Review - Revenge of the Fallen Movie Trailers. Web. 14 Aug. 2009. (Link to site)

"Blade Runner." Movie Screenshots. Web. 14 Aug. 2009. (Link to site)

"Disturbia (2007)." Movie Screenshots. Web. 14 Aug. 2009. (Link to site)

"Angela's Ashes." Movie Screenshots. Web. 14 Aug. 2009. (Link to site)