what is a shot?

SHOT :

In film, a SHOT is a continuous strip of motion picture film, created of a series of frames, that runs for an uninterrupted period of time. Shots are generally filmed with a single camera and can be of any duration. A shot in production, defined by the beginning and end of a capturing process, is equivalent to a clip in editing, defined as the continuous footage between two edits. Frames, shots, clips,scene, and sequence form a hierarchy of units fundamental to many tasks in the creation of moving-image works.

Frame:

In film making, video production, animation, and related fields, a film frame or video frame is one of the many still  images which compose the complete MOVING PICTURE.

Clips:

clips are short clips of video, usually part of a longer recording. The term is also more loosely used to mean any short video less than the length of a traditional television program.

Scene:

 In TV and Movies, a scene is generally thought of as the action in a single location and continuous time. Due to the ability to edit recorded visual works, it is typically much shorter than a stage play scene. Because of their frequent appearance in films, some types of scenes have acquired names, such as love scene, sex scene,nude scene, dream scene, action scene, car chase scene, crash scene, etc. There is usually an opening scene and a closing scene.A scene is a part of a film, as well as an act sequence (longer or shorter than the scene) and setting (usually shorter than the scene).

Sequence:

In film, a sequence is a series of Scene filming scenes which form a distinct narrative unit, which is usually connected either by unity of location or unity of time.

Seven Basic Shots:

T.V and Films use different kinds of shots.One of the first and most important choices you face when framing each shot of your video is how large to show the principal subject and his or her surroundings.This is referred to as the Field of View of the shot.A very wide field of view shows a lot of background but makes the size of the subject rather small in the shot. On the other hand, a very close shot excludes and background elements and gives dominance to the subject..

                                            

                                                 The following are the some of the basic shots,

1.Extreme Close-UP (ECU):

The ECU (also known as XCU) gets right in and shows extreme detail.

You would normally need a specific reason to get this close. It is too close to show general reactions or emotion except in very dramatic scenes.

The subject fills the screen and is clearly the central focus of the shot.

                          The following image shows how ECU is

Purpose of ECU :

                                             Used to show s details up close, as details are magnified to a very large extent ,and to emphasis e , facial expressions or to make the subject appear threatening.

2.Close-UP(CU):

The subject becomes the primary focus within the shot. Only a small portion of the background is visible.Just above the head to the upper chest.cuts just below the necktie knot.

                                   

                                       The following image shows how CU is

Purpose of CU :  

                                         Used as reaction shots, to show emotions, enabling us to easily see facial expressions and what the subject is thinking and feeling.Details are magnified.

3.Medium Close-UP(MCU):

The medium closeup is half way between a mid shot and a close up. This shot shows the face more clearly, without getting uncomfortably close.The typical passport-size photograph.Cuts the body at lower chest,just below the armit.

                                     The following image shows how MCU is

Purpose of MCU:

                                         Used to show reactions and indicate what the subject is feeling. No more details are available except of the face.

4.Medium Shot(MS):

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action. 

Here,the subject becomes larger and more dominant. The background is still important but now shares space with the subject.

                                 The following image shows how MS is

                                       

Purpose of MS:

                                   Used to help viewers easily recognize the subjects and also see what they are doing with their hands.

5.Medium Long Shot(MLS):

A Medium Long shot usually shows most of a person, typically head to knees. This gives you the opportunity to show some of the environment, but also allow multiple people to easily interact.

                                 The following image shows how MLS is

Purpose of MLS:

                                          

                                     Used to clearly show body getures, especially the arms

6.Long Shot(LS):

A slightly closer field of view than the extreme long shot, but the subject remains dominated by the much larger background area. Shows the entire body and very short distance above and below.

                                                      The following image shows how LS is:

Purpose of LS:

                                 Used to establish the location and enable viewers to follow action within the frame, this is a shot in which the subject can be seen in full. Details are still missing, but the shot is a little closer than the ELS .

7.Extreme Long Shot (ELS):

Has he background dominating the individual.This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot. It normally shows an EXTERIOR, eg the outside of a building, or a landscape, and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or disaster movie.

                                                The following image shows how ELS is:

Purpose of ELS:

                                  Often used at the begining of a film or sequence as an establishing shot to show where the action is taking place;also used to make a figure appear small or isolated in the landscape.Enables viewers to follow wider movements. Also used to establish relative positions of subjects.