VIDEO 101

Shot Composition

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s
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Composition > Extreme Close-up


Extreme close-up: Up close and (most of the time) TOO personal.

One other shot you should be aware of is the "extreme close-up" (or ECU). An extreme close-up includes just a person's facial features (eyes, nose, mouth and chin); the top of the head and shoulders are excluded.

ECUs can be disturbing shots because we usually don't see our fellow person in that much detail. "60 Minutes" became famous for using extreme close-ups when asking executives about damning evidence. In that instance the shot was useful, because it helped us determine whether the guy was lying; you could literally see the sweat come out of his pores. But for most situations, you don't want to shoot in extreme close-up.

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Michael Trinklein