Chapter 4 Video Camera Operations
89
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Calling the Shots
There are many different types and sizes of camera shots that can be
taken of a person standing in a studio. It is imperative to learn the names
of individual shots and what each shot incorporates. Unfortunately, all
professional television facilities do not use exactly the same terms. While
working in the industry, it is important to know how your facility defi nes
its terms. The sections that follow present the most common defi nitions of
various “person” shots, but the terms are not universal. Obviously, there
are times when shots do not contain any people. The shot names still gen-
erally apply to the object(s) in the shot that is the main item.
Wide Shots
The extreme long shot (ELS/XLS) is also known as a wide angle
shot (WA). This shot includes a person’s entire body from head to toe,
and as much surrounding information as the camera can capture by
dollying and zooming out. This is generally considered to be the biggest
shot a camera can capture of the subject matter, Figure 4-9. Overusing
the extreme long shot, however, can prove ineffective. An extreme long
shot of a crowd that is viewed on a small television screen appears to be
an image of a multicolored wheat fi eld waving in the breeze. A shot that
is too “long” creates a picture without detail.
extreme long shot (ELS/
XLS): The biggest shot a
camera can capture of the
subject matter. Also called a
wide angle (WA) shot.
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Figure 4-9. An extreme
long shot is the largest
shot the camera can get.
The ELS is usually a shot
of a person from head to
toe and includes as much
detail of the subject’s
surroundings as possible.
An establishing shot is a very specifi c type of extreme long shot.
The establishing shot is used to tell the audience where and when the
program takes place. For example, if the opening shot is of a dusty town
with dirt roads, cowboys riding horses, and a stagecoach approaching,
the audience can assume the program is set in the Old West, and not
onboard the starship Enterprise. Directors might periodically return to
an establishing shot during a scene to reinforce the location and to pre-
vent confusion.
establishing shot: A specific
type of extreme long shot used
to tell the audience where and
when the program takes place.