The Close Up

Close Ups are important to see details of a scene

If movies were a language, then the different types of shots would be the vocabulary.

Today, we’ll learn about the Close Up.  Start thinking about what the above picture is “Saying” to the audience.

What is the Close Up?

In film, television, still photography a close up tightly frames a person or an object (or subject).

Close Ups display a great deal of detail in your subject, but they exclude information about the broader scene.

So… eager movie-maker…

You should use Close Ups to feed your audience the specific information that you want them to know about your scene.

There should be Wide Shots to give your audience a broader idea of what your scene is about.

Some classic uses of the Close Up:

• Display a character’s emotions by showing their facial expressions.
• Introduction to main characters.  We often see a close up of someone when the story first mentions them.
• To show intricate activity of someone’s hands.  (Think about a TV chef talking about butterflying shrimp.)

The EXCLUSION of showing a character’s Close Up will produce an emotional distance to that character.  That’s why villains are often shown in a Medium Shot. (and they’re likely petting a cat.)

Television is often referred to as the “Close Up Medium” because the Close Up is used more often on TV shows than in movies.  This is especially true of Soap Operas- where the audience is asked to make strong emotional connections to the characters of the show.

Finally, my student, what’s the above close up say?

Perhaps the boy in the picture  wants to investigate what he sees at the bottom of the pool.

Very good.  You’re a wise and powerful Creative Home Movie student.