To many, a master shot is often simply lumped into a bucket which includes wide shots or establishing shots. Sadly, as many film students and video creators might discover when they search online or watch YouTube videos, there’s quite a bit of misleading information out there about master shots. A master shot truly needs to show everything in a scene from start to finish. Put simply, a master shot is a film recording of an entire dramatized scene, beginning to end, from a camera angle that keeps all the characters in view. So today, let’s explore the fascinating history of the master shot, explain how it differs from other types of camera shots (like wide shots or establishing shots), and learn how you can harness its ancient cinematographic powers into your film and video projects. I’m talking about the master shot, which is still your best option to make sure you have full coverage of every shot and scene. Your best defense against missed shots or forgotten cutaways is actually one of the oldest tricks in the book - a shot type which might seem like a relic of a bygone era.

How are you going to be sure that you’re capturing everything you need? However, one of the most critical elements to any scene has to do simply with coverage.

What camera should you shoot on? Which locations should you secure? How will you light each scene and record sound? When you’re starting out on a film and video project, there’s a lot to consider.

Best cinematography shots