Shot Size

January 23, 2023

For my shot size blog, I chose to create a close up shot. Close up shots draw the audience's attention to the main subject or object. This can reveal their importance, presence, reactions, and behavior.  In my photo, it is a close up of my face. My eyes are bright from the flash of my camera and my hair looks greyer. The lids of my eyes are a little low which could indicate being tired. There are also deep lines under my eyes which indicate exhaustion. A close up shot allows the audience to identify emotions closer than a medium or a full shot could. The close up shot is good for dramatic and powerful moments that involve details. There could be a slow zoom in to a close up shot, or a quick cut to reveal the characters face. A popular example of a close up shot is in “The Shining” when Johnny breaks the door down with an axe and then pokes his head through. In this scene, his eyes are very wide and he has a big smile on his face. This scene sets the mood of the movie and close up shots often develop both a tone and a mood. Many close up shots and eyeline matches in movies show important scene details that will be helpful in understanding the story later on. This can include foreshadowing or a later element of plot development. There are several different kinds of close up shots that include different sizes such as the medium close up shot, extreme close up shot, and the insert shot.