3. Shot type and mise-en-scène

Generally, while the "what" (subject, action) of your shot is of course important, the "how" (framing, lighting, mise-en-scène, and sequence) is really what can make or break your production, live or otherwise. For better or for worse, even the shittiest Hollywood productions can have stilted and unnatural dialogue, cliché narrative, gaping plotholes, and anaemic acting, but the cinematography will usually correlate with its performance in the box office. (This is purely speculation, but perhaps the reason for this is that large studios can afford big-name directors with proven track records, whereas screenwriting is more naturally a crapshoot in terms of financial payoff.) It's important to recognize that the "what" and the "how" can tell two entirely different stories!

While the audience is used to consciously following plot and conversation, the "how" elements of a scene tend to affect viewers on a subconscious level. The elements we're going to discuss in this section are always doing work, intentionally or otherwsie, to affect your conscious or unconscious interpretation of a film, show, or video.

Although we generally are filming live programs and not staged or scripted productions, our programs generally do follow an emotional cadence or otherwise narrative logic, and it's good to know when certain types of shots are more fitting than others. A lot of it is just practice and getting a feel for how shooting works, but reading up on the subject will certainly help!

First of all, what is a shot? Well, if a frame is the fundamental element of cinematography (I'm not saying that it is, but you could make an argument certainly that it is), then a shot is the most basic compound. A shot is a series of frames recorded from a single angle—thus, there is a time component to a shot. Each shot has a duration within the scene, and a series of scenes comprise a sequence. (Check here for a simple explanation of all this.)

The shot type, then, is what the director (or cameraperson) decides should be encompassed within the shot. Common shot types that we use include:

  • The wide shot, or establishing shot
  • The medium shot
  • The close-up

Together, lighting and shot type help comprise the mise-en-scène—that is, the ultimate internal arrangement of subjects and objects within the shot—which plays an integral role in communicating a message to the viewer. Cluttered scenes might feel claustrophobic and evoke a sense of anxiety in a viewer, while sparse scenes with only a single subject could feel solitary or put an uncomfortable level of scrutiny on the subject. You should always be aware of what is in your shot and what isn't, especially when shooting on-location (that is, outside the Arts Cafe or Wexler Studio).

Finally, the arrangement of your shots plays a vital role within your scene, not only in constructing narrative, but in establishing a sense of action. Timely cuts could make a production seem more or less lively, somber, and/or urgent. Cutting too quickly could cause your scene to feel frenetic; maintaining a shot for too long tends to make your scene feel boring, or, in the case of close-ups, uncomfortably intimate.

So, the next time you watch TV or a movie, pay careful attention to how shots are set up, where actors and subjects are located within the shot, and what each type of shot means, or the mood of each scene in relation to the shots used. Then, watch how shots are arranges within scenes. Does the director choose to use close-ups during emotional scenes? What would be the dramatic effect of using a wider shot during one of these scenes? If you plan on taking cinema studies courses, chances are you'll be asked at some point to perform a shot-by-shot analysis at some point on a scene. If you start practicing now, you'll probably be an expert by the time it comes up in class!*

*not a guarantee

Readings and Resources

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