Close-up
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A close-up or closeup in
History
Most early filmmakers, such as
The people in the front office got very upset. They came down and said: "The public doesn't pay for the head or the arms or the shoulders of the actor. They want the whole body. Let's give them their money's worth." Griffith stood very close to them and said: "Can you see my feet?" When they said no, he replied: "That's what I'm doing. I am using what the eyes can see."[2]
Practical application
Close-ups are used in many ways and for many reasons. They are often employed as cutaways from a more distant shot to show detail, such as characters' emotions or some intricate activity with their hands. Close cuts to characters' faces are used far more often in television than in movies[citation needed] and are especially common in soap operas[citation needed]. For a director, deliberately avoiding close-ups may create in the audience an emotional distance from the subject matter[citation needed].
Close-ups are used for distinguishing main characters. Major characters are often given a close-up when they are introduced as a way of indicating their importance. Leading characters will have multiple close-ups. At the close of
Close-up shots do not show the subject in the broad context of its surroundings. Low-budget films may use close-ups to avoid the expense of set construction. If overused, close-ups may leave viewers uncertain as to what they are seeing. Close-ups are rarely done with wide-angle lenses because perspective causes objects closer to the lens to be unnaturally enlarged. That may convey a sense of confusion, intoxication, or another unusual mental state.[citation needed]
Close-up types
There are various degrees of close-up depending on how tight (zoomed in) the shot is. The terminology varies between countries and even different companies, but in general, these are:
- Medium Close Up ("MCU" on camera scripts): Halfway between a mid shotand a close-up. Usually covers the subject's head and shoulders.
- Close Up ("CU"): A certain feature, such as someone's head, takes up the whole frame.
- Extreme Close Up ("ECU" or "XCU"): The shot is so tight that only a detail of the subject, such as someone's eyes, can be seen.[3]
- Lean-In: when the juxtaposition of shots in a sequence, usually in a scene of dialogue, starts with medium or long shots, for example, and ends with close-ups.
- Lean-Out: the opposite of a lean-in, moving from close-ups out to longer shots.
- Lean: when a lean-in is followed by a lean-out.
When the close-up is used in the shooting, the subject should not be put in exactly the middle of the frame. Instead, it should be located in the frame according to the law of the golden section.
Example of close-up
Close-ups
See also
References
- ISBN 9781136047381. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ Lekich, John (October 24, 1986). "First Lady of the Silent Screen". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ Ask The Cameraman: Shot Sizes: The Extreme Close-Up Archived June 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
Sources
- Bordwell, David; Thompson, Kristin (2006). Film Art: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-331027-1.
External links
Media related to Close-up shots at Wikimedia Commons