What changes
The complete figure fits inside the frame, so bodily action and part of the setting can be seen together.
WIDE-SHOT · foundation
Wide shot
A wide or long shot shows a person’s full body with some surrounding area.
On-set method
- Frame the complete body from head to feet.
- Leave enough surrounding area for the action to remain inside the frame.
- Avoid unintended cuts through knees, elbows, or other natural joints.
Useful for
- Show full-body action
- Show a person together with part of the surroundings
Common mistakes
- Cropping the body when a full figure is intended
- Leaving so little room that the action exits the frame
05
Practice
Record one complete body action in a single wide shot without cropping the performer.
06
Compare
A wide shot shows the full body with less surrounding area than an extreme wide shot.
FAQ
Are long shot, wide shot, and full shot different here?
The cited shot-size guide treats LS, WS, and FS as names for the same full-body framing.
Supporting sources
- Humanities LibreTexts, Video Production Handbook, §8.1 “Basic Shot Sizes”
- Humanities LibreTexts, Video Production Handbook, §8.5 “Video Composition”
Further discovery
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