The Power of the Close-Up Shot: Why, When, and How to Use It

In cinema, photography, animation, comics, and other visual media, the close-up shot is the best way to show detail. While medium, long shots and extreme wide shots show the context of a scene, the close-up and the extreme close-up can reveal information that remains unseen from afar.

Filmmakers of the late 19th and early 20th century overwhelmingly used medium and long shots for their films. They framed scenes as if the audience were looking at a play on stage—one unfolding in projected light. But by about 1910, filmmakers like D.W. Griffith began to experiment with close-ups, hoping to create films that showed how people actually looked at the world, when they focused on certain things, like a coffee mug in front of them or a book.

These experiments in close-up detail forever changed motion pictures. Now, when a filmmaker or YouTuber shows us something in detailed close-up, we simply take it for granted.

What is a close-up shot?

In filmmaking, a close-up is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or an object. This standard shot is used regularly alongside medium and long shots (more on this later).

Why use close-up shots?

There are three main reasons why you may want to film a close-up shot:

• To show strong emotion: Getting a closer look at something and being forced to confront and understand it can help generate strong emotions. This can help connect the audience to the story and make them feel more invested.
• To indicate the importance of something: Close-up shooting can give your audience a more detailed and intimate look at something they might otherwise miss. It could be an important story beat – the flick of a switch or a sleight of hand under the table. Little details matter in storytelling; the closeup shot allows us to highlight them.
• To understand characters: Using close-up shots to showcase facial expressions can create intimacy. We better understand how they’re feeling, seeing the world and events unfolding through their eyes and identifying where the story may be heading next as a consequence of their emotions. Even the slightest glance or gaze can convey significant meaning with a close-up shot.

Types of close-up shots

It’s worth noting that there are a few different types of close-ups and various shot sizes. It’s helpful to think of each type of close-up shot, zooming closer and closer to the frame’s subject or object.

The standard close-up

Typically, when we think of a close-up, we probably envision the camera framing a person’s face, hand, or object in detail. This is your standard close-up shot; you’ll find it used in almost every film and TV show you can think of. In this scene from Her (2018), the close-up is utilized to study Joaquin Phoenix’s face during a very intense, emotional conversation.

Medium close-up

There is also the medium close-up — a frame between the close-up just mentioned and a medium shot showing a person’s entire body. This neutral shot captures the subject’s facial expression and body language while leaving some background in the frame. A perfect example of this is in the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith scene, in which Anakin Skywalker is not granted the role of master. A medium close-up shot helps convey exactly how he’s feeling to the audience.

The extreme close-up definition

If you keep zooming in from a close-up, you’ll get an extreme close-up shot—a shot that shows details like the skin on a hand or a person’s eyelashes. In this scene from Inglourious Basterds, Director Quentin Tarantino uses an extreme close-up shooting to show the main protagonist, Shosanna Dreyfus, getting ready for her big night.

When to use a close-up

As we’ve already noted, the close-up shot is powerful for dramatic moments and shots involving details. It can also be used to highlight comedic moments.

When it comes to drama, a close-up allows a filmmaker to focus on a person’s face to show emotion. The emotions could be anything from nervousness and anxiety to sadness and happiness. We feel the full range of tension and anxiety in Oppenheimer’s Trinity test sequence, which makes use of plenty of close-up shots.

In this clip, we also see how close-up shots highlight important objects, ratcheting up the tension with the shaking hand over the buzzer and the clock ticking down amidst a last-minute flurry of action.

In cinema, a lot of filmmakers use close-ups to show a character crying. But Sergio Leone, who directed many “Spaghetti Western” films with Clint Eastwood, loved to use extreme close-ups to build tension right before gun duels. But Leone also used the extreme close-up to highlight the calm of his anti-heroes, which were played by Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson.

You can also use close-ups at the very beginning of a shot or scene to hide the surrounding detail. Using a close-up allows you to control when viewers/audiences get more information and a larger view of action and context.

How to Shoot Close-Ups

So, now that you understand the world of close-ups let’s look at how to go about close-up shooting.

The camera matters

The type of close-up you can shoot is determined by your camera and lenses. While something like a smartphone features lenses that can be zoomed in for some good close-ups, modern DSLR cameras from Canon, Sony, and Nikon typically shoot close-ups in much greater detail.

So, the first thing you will want to do is decide which camera you will use for your YouTube videos. There is nothing wrong with using a smartphone camera. But, if you opt for one, know that you will have to use its onboard screen zoom and focus features unless you get an attachable lens to give you more versatility and control.

If you buy a DSLR camera, which can shoot photos and videos, you will have that versatility at your fingertips. These cameras allow videographers and filmmakers to use prime lenses (which can’t be zoomed in and out), which are great for getting cinematic close-ups. They also give YouTubers the controls and settings to work with lighting kits to get the exact exposure they want—something that is much more difficult with smartphone video technology.

Lighting

As we just noted, the shot will need to be properly lit to get a good close-up. Sometimes natural lighting will do, but at some point, you may want to invest in a lighting kit that will give you more control over your image, which you can play with during the editing process.

Close up shooting

When you’re shooting your closeup shot, there are a few things to bear in mind. First of all, you should consider how your presence is going to impact performance. Lens choice is really important here – if you shoot on a very wide angle lens, you’ll be very close up with the actor, which can produce different results compared with a tighter lens that allows you to sit back.

Additionally, it’s important to keep your close-up shots relatively consistent when it comes to framing and focal length. Even the slightest movements could knock things out of focus in a close-up and make it harder to refind the point of focus.

Editing tips

When it comes to editing, it’s a good idea to use close-up shots sparingly. Too many too frequently won’t feel right. A balance of close-ups, wides, and mids is always important. There’s no specific number to stick to, and each film differs, but try to employ your close-up shots at the moments when they’ll be most impactful. Think about their placement, too. Typically, close-up frames won’t be used as establishing shots.

Close-up shots examples and inspiration from Artlist

At Artlist, we’re known for our great royalty-free music. Our huge library of stock footage is available to use right now, and you’ll find through the search filters that you can select a whole category dedicated to close-up shots. Ranging from close-up faces in various scenarios to nature and everything in between, we’ve got what you’re looking for.

Some more thoughts

Shooting good videos is about having a balance of shots in your arsenal. While it’s perfectly okay, especially for aspiring YouTubers, to stick with one static shot throughout a video, adding medium shots and the three main types of close-ups can really help give your work a dynamic look.

The key is to know when to use a close-up. If you want to show details on objects, structures, and faces, this is a great time to use close-ups. If you want to show emotion, this is another great moment to shoot a close-up.

As with anything in video and film, just don’t over-use it. Unless your entire video is about showing detailed work, like programming a music synthesizer or showing how to build a robot or carve wood, then you want to use the close-up only when necessary.