From close-ups to tracking shots, discover the five key shots you need to master for great shot framing.
Great filmmakers make every frame count. Whether you’re shooting a brand campaign, a TikTok trend, or a short film, getting the shot composition right can make all the difference.
You don’t need fancy gear for this—just a little bit of know-how. In this guide, we’ll discuss the importance of shot framing and explain the five key shots you need to master to give your videos a professional look.
Why does shot framing matter?
Shot framing is not just about making things look good, although that’s part of it. It’s about telling your audience what they can expect and making them feel something. Here’s why shot framing is so powerful:
- It provides an emotional connection.
- It directs the audience’s focus to where you want it.
- It can create tension or relief.
- It helps to communicate the personality and tone of your video.
Shot framing is a key part of visual storytelling, and it helps you communicate a lot by doing relatively little.
How to master 5 key camera shots in video
Understanding the basics is where to start with everything. Once you know those, you can follow or break the rules to create your own unique style. Here are five essential camera shots you should know before you get started.
1. Establishing shot
Sets the scene, gives context, orients the viewer.
An establishing shot is usually a wide-angle or long shot that shows the viewer where the action is. It should give a sense of place and set the tone for the scene. It’s often the first shot in a sequence, and you can think of it as answering the fundamental questions of “Where are we?” and “What should we be feeling here?”
It’s a common shot whenever the director wants to introduce the film locations.
How to use an establishing shot in your video
- Use a wide-angle lens, or zoom out if you’re using a phone.
- Keep an eye on nice visual stuff like symmetry—a balanced composition feels intentional.
- Include any environmental details that support your story.
- Add movement to keep it dynamic rather than looking like a still. If there’s no movement in the frame, try moving the camera with a pan or tilt.
2. Close-up
Brings the viewer in emotionally as well as physically.
Close-ups focus on a person’s face, hands, or other detail to show that it’s significant or to heighten emotion. They’re great for creating intimacy and connection, but they’re also useful for bringing attention to a specific object. Extreme close-ups get in really close to something, like just a person’s eyes, for example.
How to shoot close-ups effectively
- Instead of being physically very close, use a longer focal length and zoom in.
- Keep the most essential thing in focus, like the eyes, if it’s a face.
- Blur the background (use a shallow depth of field) to keep attention on the subject. This will be easier if you use a longer focal length.
- Be very aware of your framing and leave ‘breathing room’ around your subject so that you don’t awkwardly cut off bits of face.
3. Medium shot
Balanced and versatile, used to show body language and context.
A medium shot usually gets a subject from the waist up. As you might suspect, it is the shot that falls between a close-up and a wide shot. It’s handy for getting body language and conversational tone.
How to film a medium shot
- Keep the subject slightly off-center (use the rule of thirds) for a more natural feel.
- Add some headroom above the person, but not too much.
- Keep the background blurred to get rid of any distractions.
4. Long shot
Gets the full subject and is great for scale.
A long shot shows the person’s entire body in a frame, usually with quite a bit of background detail still seen. It’s good for highlighting movement, showing body language, or placing the subject in their environment. This is different from an establishing shot because it generally isn’t as wide, and it usually features a person or subject clearly, rather than just showing the environment. Long shots create scale and space, helping the audience understand the relationship between the person (or thing) and where they are.
How to film a long shot
- Use a wide-angle lens or zoom out.
- Keep the subject off-center.
- Make sure what’s in the background is part of the story to add context, rather than competing with the shot’s main subject.
5. Tracking shot
Follows the subject to create a sense of movement.
A tracking shot involves moving the camera to follow someone walking or interacting with the environment around them. It adds energy and makes the audience feel part of the action. There are different types of tracking depending on how you’re following the subject, but the main point is for the camera to move. Usually, you’ll also want that movement to be smooth.
How to shoot a tracking shot
- If you can, use a gimbal or stabilizer to keep the motion smooth. You could even put your phone on a small tripod and hand-hold it that way, using any in-built stabilization.
- Match the subject’s pace. If they’re walking quickly or running, a little camera shake can look more natural!
If you don’t have a gimbal or another way to stabilize, try these quick tips to steady your shots:
- Walk slowly and bend your knees a little to help absorb shock.
- Keep your elbows in towards your body to reduce arm shake.
- Try resting the phone on a folded shirt (or something else soft and smooth) and sliding it along a flat surface.
Shot composition techniques to try
Now you know about the basic camera shots, you can try these shot composition techniques to help your content look more polished:
- Rule of thirds: Divide the frame into nine equal sections and place key elements where the lines intersect.
- Frame in a frame: Use windows or doorways to create a frame within a shot.
- Leading lines: Look for roads, fences, or even shadows to lead your viewer’s eye to the subject.
- Negative space: What’s not there can be just as effective as what is. Try leaving some space around your subject.
Ready, set, action
Shot framing and good composition aren’t about following rigid rules, but you should at least know the rules before you can start playing with them and embracing creative transformation. It doesn’t matter whether you’re filming a fictional piece, a brand campaign, or an informal short for social media—the right shots can make all the difference.
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