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THE GUIDE
Shot Types and Framing
Wide Shots
This shot tells you everything; it contains the most amount of information. It is usually used to establish the scene or be "the establishing shot." In this shot, we see the entire “world” that this scene exists in. Ex: This could be a shot of the entire neighborhood or city that your church is in.
The Very Long shot may begin to reveal your subject but the focus is still on the surrounding environment. Ex: If you began your Welcome Video of the entire beach community surrounding St. Bede’s in the Extreme Wide Shot, you may then move to the Wide Shot to reveal the exact area where the church is located.
The subject of this shot is beginning to make a presence in the world introduced through the Extreme or Wide Shot. In this example, the woman is now fully visible and taking attention away from the environment. In your video, your subject may be your church or a parishioner.
Wide Shots
Medium Shots
Medium Shot
As more focus is given to the subject, parts of the environment begin to be removed from the story. In this example, we begin to see what the subject is wearing, but we lose that she is standing on a street; we see more detail on her scarf and receive a suggestion of her surrounding landscape.
This shot is commonly called the "cowboy" since you close in enough to see the “guns” of the subject. (We have westerns to thank for this.) Ex: After showing Long Shots of your church and community, maybe it's time to get a Medium of your rector talking or more detail of the joy that the greeters offer at the door of the church.
The camera is now introducing the most revelatory part of a subject: the eyes. The viewers can begin to read the “windows to the soul.” The subject is not the main focus with the background complimenting her. Ex: It may be important to have a married couple talking but still show the nursery in the background to emphasize their area of ministry.
Close-Up Shots
The subject is now the centerpiece of the shot and the surrounding environment creates a nebulous background. Ex: If you decided to use a MS to introduce the rector of St. Bede’s, you might jump to a CU when the rector says an important line. This will add extra emphasis as the viewer can see the emotion of the rector in their facial expressions.
The subject’s face is now the entire scene. The only story you wish to tell in this shot is what is being communicated from your subject’s eyes and facial expressions. In this example, we see not only a woman staring into the distance, but with the BCU, a pensive woman that may be looking for answers.
This shot can be mysterious and revealing at the same time. Odds are that you will not need the ECU for a church welcome video, but perhaps you are utilizing the Testimony model. If it's a moving story, there may be extreme close-ups of the subject’s eyes or hands to reveal more of the story by seeing clearly the subject’s physical behavior.
Close-Up Shots
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