Throughout the course of a film, three types of shots are typically used. The first is the long shot, which is the orientation shot. This provides the setting for where the scene will take place. The second type of shot is the medium shot, which is the information shot. This should provide more clues than the long shot, perhaps by showing what a character is engaged in or how many characters there are. The close up shot is the third type, and it depicts important detail. The director uses the close up shot to focus on specific details that he or she wants the audience to pay careful attention to.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966) is a terrific movie which has all three types of shots in it, though it most frequently uses the middle shot and close up. The first long shot is shown when the two main characters are walking up to a house. This shows us that the couple is walking into a house, presumably their own, and we see that this is where the following action will take place. An example of a middle shot is after the guests, Nick and Honey, come over to George and Martha's house. The middle shot is of the four characters in George and Martha's living room. It is informative because it shows the dynamics of the situation. Here, we see that the four characters are all engaged, but the energy is tense as Martha is pointing and George is standing. All characters have a drink, which is consistent throughout the movie.
There are many intense close up shots within this film; here is one instance when Martha is yelling viciously at George. This shot portrays the detail of Martha’s emotion and her raw, biting fury. Through this shot, we can better grasp the complexity of her and George’s relationship through the high level of emotional battery.
Photos from: altfg.com and chicagonow.com
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