Shot types (establishing shots, interior shots, key locations)
Select views that explain a location, from wide establishing shots to key angles and functional interior views.
What it is
Shot types are standard views that explain a location. An establishing shot is a wide view showing where the place is, its scale, and its connections to nearby spaces. A key location shot presents an important area from a clear, recognizable angle. Interior shots show practical spaces characters move through, such as hallways, rooms, stairwells, workspaces, bathrooms, and storage areas.
A location set usually includes images with different jobs. One view may show a city from above, another the approach to its gate, and others the interior of a guard tower or a command table. Together, these views show how the place works across multiple distances.
Plan coverage by choosing the angles needed to understand the location, deciding the scale of each view, and selecting what to show or hide. Reuse shapes, motifs, and props across shots. Establishing shots group large shapes, key location shots emphasize recognizable details, and interior shots address movement, doors, sightlines, choke points, and light sources.
Why it matters
Shot planning gives a location enough views to show its layout, important areas, and practical movement. Weak coverage can leave entrances, main rooms, or key spaces undefined, requiring others to fill in missing information.
You can check it when
- ✓Produce an establishing view, a key location view, and a functional interior view for one location. Keep the three views consistent as parts of the same place.
- ✓Show the location's wider setting, practical movement, and important landmarks across the selected views. Keep proportions and repeated design elements consistent enough to map the environment.