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However, if you look for clues to see if all the characters are visible, and all the most relevant actions and items are clear, then you can quickly recognize which shots a director was shooting as a master, versus the more nuanced close-ups and other cinematic angles. A master shot captures all the essential action and elements of a scene—relevant characters, setting, props, lighting, and movement—without pause from beginning to end. There are certainly hallmarks that many master shots share, including being shot as a wide shot to help include all the relevant characters and actions, as well as usually being recorded as a long shot with no cuts depending on the length of the scene. Master shots are complemented by other camera angles that cover specific detail within the scene, including establishing shots, low shots, close-ups, and medium shots.
Narratively, this is fitting since Welles’ character is the object that all other parts of the film gravitate toward. Close-up and medium shots capture action closely for the audience to see and understand, but these shots don’t show the space and environment the characters are in. Put some thought into the form you want your master shot to take and how it’ll affect the flow of visual information. It serves both to help you judge and manage the actors’ performances and as a “safety net” that will help you avoid costly reshoots. It also ties the editor’s hands somewhat if they haven’t got a wide shot to fall back on to get around problems.Carefully crafted master shots can build tension by showing the audience lurking danger or a building threat that the main character remains unaware of. However much you might plan these things, inevitably in the heat of filming you get tunnel vision about the shot in front of you and everything else fades away. The more specific you are with your shot list, including shot size, camera framing, and camera gear, the more your crew and department heads will know what you need to complete your scene.
On the other hand, if your master shot has overly tight framing, there’s not much you can do to reinsert people or objects that were cut out of the shot. When shooting digitally (and with a quality viewfinder or portable monitor), you can also use your master shot as a way to review your overall composition as you move in closer to shoot the rest of the shots in your scene. If you use shot listing and storyboard software, you can label your complex master setup, and then place multiple shots with different compositions and level changes under the setup. In this instance, Spielberg uses the blocking of the scene to change the composition of the shot while the camera stays in one place. These are the questions to ask yourself both as a director and as an editor when putting your film together.However, to truly be classified as a master shot, the only requirements needed are the ones outlined from the definition. However, the word “master shot” doesn’t necessarily describe the size of the frame, but rather, its purpose in the context of storytelling. Doug shuts the door, and argues with Tom, who only turns around once he has finally confronted Doug with the big issue of the scene. The camera continues to film the action, which is the conversation and eventual shooting of Yeeleng’s character. However, as the scene progresses, feel free to move in and record for shorter periods as you get an understanding of how the movement flows so that you’re not recording too much unnecessary space.
A TikTok ban is looking more and more likely, but relying solely on TikTok to find success can be problematic for any creator. I have rued and cried in my reviews of Volume 2 and 3 about this unfair policy of not crediting cinematographer. As you can see, both of these shot types are very similar to master shots, but missing some of the key components.
Even if your scene is just two people talking in a room, you can use a master shot to make your film more interesting. But while that’s the only function of an establishing shot, master shots also capture the action within that setting from beginning to end. Getting the lighting on a set right requires precision, as well—otherwise, you risk under- or overexposing the footage. The camera begins to pull back more as I exit the car, walk around the front, and pull Yeeleng out of the car. From there you can add in other shot types like long shots, medium shots and close-ups, as well as sprinkle in cutaways and other creative shot types (like POV shots for example).
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