DRIFF Lesson: The Wide Shot
One way that filmmakers can show scale is by implementing the wide shot. It can also demonstrate the strength of a filmmaker by how they compose such a wide image, such as by using scale and framing. Typically, a wide angle shot shines with large format filmmaking, whether it is vista vision or IMAX. By utilizing a wide-angle lens, these shots establish both mood and atmosphere.
The three most common wide-angle shots include: full, extreme, and your standard wide shot. A full shot is character focused and where you can see their full body from the top of the frame to the bottom of the frame. Often it is utilized to showcase tension, the setting of the films and quickly inform the audience about the character. An extreme wide shot is exactly what it sounds like and is utilized to showcase the characters in relation to the environment. This is often used to bring about a sense of scale and setting. While the full shot is more grounded in character an extreme wide shot is more grounded within the setting of the film or show.
While important, wide shots often can be misused. Instead of showing the scale of the scene in question, they can also make the world you are building feel small. You want to properly frame these shots and place actors appropriately within the scenes because by not doing this you shrink the world you are trying to build and make the film feel bland and cheap. Films that have typically done this type of shot well are Westerns, especially the Fist Full of Dollars Trilogy, famously starring Clint Eastwood as “The Man With No Name.” But there are a fair bit of modern films that utilize this well such as Oppenheimer, One Battle After Another, Sinners, and even Furiosa–the latest film in the Mad Max series. These films excel because they showcase the large landscapes and environments within their world. Every wide shot feels purposeful and not wasted.
Wide angle shots are especially important for independent filmmakers, as they help give a sense of scale when there is not a lot of money to go around. The best way you can create impact as a filmmaker is by using camera framing and blocking to say a lot with little. By successfully communicating images that make your world feel bigger, the more likely audiences are going to become absorbed within your work.