Cinematic Storytelling 101: Different Types of Shots in Filmmaking
Published on: August 02, 2025
Updated on: October 09, 2026
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Understand the different types of shots in filmmaking and learn how these techniques bring scenes to life and strengthen their connection with the audience.
Gaining a basic understanding of how professional filmmakers plan and execute different shot types and camera angles can go a long way toward helping you create cinematic videos, just like the ones you watch in Hollywood. Below are the most common types of shots in films and the techniques used to make them.
Camera Shot Sizes at a Glance
Shot Type
What It Shows
Common Use
Extreme Wide Shot
A vast landscape; the subject appears very small
Establishing location and scale
Wide / Full Shot
The whole body plus the surroundings
Introducing a character, showing movement
Medium Wide (Cowboy) Shot
From mid-thigh up
Group scenes, action with context
Medium Shot
From the waist up
Dialogue, interviews, vlogs
Medium Close-Up
From mid-chest up
Conversations with more emotion
Close-Up
The face
Emotion, reactions
Extreme Close-Up
Eyes, mouth or a small object
Detail, tension
A. Shots with Different Camera Angles
1. Over-the-Shoulder Shot
One of the most common shots in filmmaking is two people having a conversation. In an over-the-shoulder shot, the camera is placed behind one character so their shoulder and the back of their head frame the person they are talking to. This puts the audience inside the conversation and keeps both characters connected in the same frame. Learn when to use it in our guide to the over-the-shoulder shot.
2. Eye-Level Shot
Remember the famous series "The Office"? Much of it was shot at eye level. These shots place the camera at the subject's eye height, which results in a neutral and relatable perspective. See more examples in our eye-level shot guide.
3. High- and Low-Angle Shots
In a high-angle shot, the camera looks down on the subject; in a low-angle shot, it looks up at the subject. High angles usually make the subject feel weaker or more vulnerable, while low angles make the subject look stronger and can create awe or fear. Explore both in our high-angle shot examples and low-angle shot guide.
4. Tilted Angle Shot
These shots (also known as Dutch angle shots) tilt the camera so the horizon is no longer level. Filmmakers use them to bring disorientation and unease into a scene, often during moments of tension or when a character's state of mind is unstable.
B. Shots with Different Frame Sizes
1. Close-Up and Extreme Close-Up Shots
These types of shots in films are used when the filmmaker needs to show the subject's emotions or important details. The camera frames the subject's face or a specific object, which highlights crucial plot points and increases the emotional intensity. Our guide to types of close-up shots covers each variation and the lenses that suit them.
2. Medium Shots
Medium shots bring balance to a scene. They frame the subject from roughly the waist up, so the audience sees facial expression, body language and part of the surroundings at the same time. Scenes of someone giving a speech or a news anchor reading the news are typical medium shots. Learn more in our guide to the medium shot.
3. Full Shots
Full shots show the complete character and are often used when introducing a character or for a grand entrance. The entire body is visible, with the background giving perspective to the scene. Many superhero costume reveals in Marvel and DC films are framed this way.
4. Wide and Extremely Wide Shots
Wide shots aim to capture as much of the environment as possible rather than focusing only on the subject. Remember the scene in Lawrence of Arabia where a lone figure walks across the desert? See more in our wide shot examples.
Many filmmakers shoot these types of shots in films with anamorphic lenses to get a widescreen look. One option is the SIRUI Venus Full-Frame Anamorphic Cinema Lens. An anamorphic lens squeezes a wider horizontal field of view onto the sensor, which produces a widescreen image once desqueezed, along with blue horizontal flares and oval bokeh.
The Venus series has a T2.9 aperture and comes in several focal lengths (35mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm and 150mm at 1.6x, plus a 135mm at 1.8x), so you can use it for many of the shots mentioned above.
Crane shots are usually used for a reveal, with the camera rising or sweeping over the scene on a crane. Today, drones are often used instead of cranes for this type of shot.
2. Dolly Shots
In a dolly shot, the camera moves on a track or wheeled platform, often following the subject. This creates a smooth, immersive sense of movement.
3. Pan Shots
A pan shot rotates the camera horizontally from a fixed point. It is often used to reveal a location, follow a moving subject, or move the audience's attention from one person or object to another.
4. Handheld Shots
Handheld shots are filmed with the camera held in the hands. The natural shake creates a realistic, documentary-like feel in the frame.
5. Tilt Shots
A tilt shot pivots the camera up or down from a fixed point, just as a pan moves side to side. Tilts are often used to show scale, such as revealing the height of a building or a character, and are common in reveal scenes.
Wrapping Up
Each of these types of shots in filmmaking gives you a different way to guide the audience's attention and emotion. Skill and planning matter most, but the lens you choose also shapes how each shot looks. Anamorphic lenses such as the SIRUI Venus series are one way to give these shots a widescreen, cinematic character.
