What is Subject Size?
It is the size of the subject as it appears in the frame.
The most common sizes are the wide shot, medium shot, and close shot.
At the far ends of the spectrum are the extreme wide shot and extreme close shot.
The main function of subject size is to convey story information by orienting the audience
and emphasizing (or de-emphasizing) the subject.
What is Subject Size for?
Orient the audience
Emphasize or de-emphasize the subject
What is the classic shot to start a scene?
The classic shot structure for a scene starts with a wide shot, cuts to medium shots, and
climaxes with close shots.
In other words, the subject size gets bigger as the action intensifies.
This pattern can be monotonous when used for every scene.
Nonetheless, it is basic to understanding how shots relate to action and can be used as a
springboard for more creative scene designs.
The following discussion elaborates on the
different subject sizes.
The wide shot is primarily used to establish the
setting or location of a scene. Since objects appear
small in the frame, it can also be used for de-
emphasis and is ideal for conveying character
isolation. This shot from Vertigo accomplishes both
of these goals:
The wide shot has two drawbacks:
it weakens the director's control over audience
and lessens the impact of action.
It should be avoided when important detail must be
conveyed. Wide shots are also referred to
as establishing shots.
The close shot is the exact opposite of
the wide shot in that the subject is very
large in the frame.
Consequently, it is used for emphasis.
When the subject is an actor, anything
closer than mid-chest is considered a
close shot, or close-up.
Here, the actor's head dominates the
composition. There are several types of
actor close shots, as illustrated in this still
from The Godfather:
Another variation is the over the shoulder
shot, where an actor is seen in close-up
over another actor's shoulder.
This shot is often used in dialogue scenes as
a bridge between a shot of two actors and
The close shot is a powerful tool and
should be used sparingly. When used too
often, the audience becomes
desensitized to it and its effectiveness is
As the name indicates, the medium shot
falls between the close shot and the wide
When the subject is an actor, the upper
body dominates the frame, usually from
the thighs up.
Movies are primarily constructed of
medium shots, with wide shots and close
shots used for orientation and emphasis,
A composition can have multiple subject
sizes. For example, one actor can be
shown in close-up, while another is in full
shot. This enables the audience to follow
action in the foreground and the
The technique, called deep focus, was
pioneered by Orson Welles in his
landmark film Citizen Kane.
The following shot shows actors in close,
medium, and full shot:
The size of a subject can be varied during
a shot by moving the camera and/or
For example, an actor in medium shot
can move away from the camera into
wide shot or toward the camera into
This shot from Shadow of a Doubt moves
from a medium shot to an extreme close
There must be a clear understanding
between director and cinematographer
as to where frame lines cut off the actor's
These designations are called cutting
The preferred way to change subject size is to move the camera in relation to the subject,
or vice versa.
Subject size can also be varied by changing the lens focal length (i.e., magnification),
However, this affects the way the image looks in terms of depth perspective and depth of
It is the apparent distance of the
foreground and background in relation to
Wide focal lengths expand the apparent
distance, while long focal lengths
Depth of Field
It is the amount of acceptable focus
behind and in front of the subject.
Short focal lenses tend to produce a wide
depth of field, where everything on the
set appears in focus ("deep focus").
Long focal lenses produce a shallow
depth of field, where only the subject
area is in focus.
To avoid fluctuations in these variables from one shot to the next, the cinematographer
chooses a focal length and shoots the entire scene with that lens.
The camera is then moved in relation to the subject to create the desired subject size.
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