SHOT - SEQUENCE - SCENE - STORY
We know films are made up of camera shots. They combine to tell the story.
A shot is a single ‘run’ of the camera. The length of a shot depends upon its purpose. It could be to
establish a place, or show action or reaction. Think of a shot as a sentence.
A take is a different version of the same shot. You will often hear take 1, cut, take 2 etc.
For example, a shot can be taken a number of times from different angles and sizes and you can decide
later which take looks best.
A sequence is a group of shots depicting one action, or, shots which seem to belong with or depend
upon each other. A sequence of shots can also be edited at different speeds. Longer shots in a sequence
can slow the pace to create tension or romance. Shorter shots increase the pace and can suggest energy
and excitement. Think of a sequence as a paragraph... made up of lots of sentences.
A scene is a group of sequences that depict an event in the story or occur in one place. Think of a scene
as a chapter, made up of lots of paragraphs.
When planning and developing your ideas for a film you would first plan the story
Secondly you would make decisions about how many scenes make up the story. You would then decide
on how many sequences make up each scene and finally decide on the shots that make up each
sequence. Refer to the diagram below to assist with planning.
Example - refer to Storyboard Example
Story
‘The Crack Up’
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 3
Sequence 2
Sequence 3
The Missing Wallet
Sequence 1
Upset Sal
Confrontation
Shot 1
Shot 1
Establishing Shot - House
Mid Shot - Nic enters
Shot 2
Shot 2
Mid Shot - Door slams
Two Shot - Conversation
Shot 3
Shot 3
Resolution
Shot 1
Shot 2
Reaction Shot - Sal mad
Shot 4
CU Shot - Sal mad 2
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FILM-MAKING RESOURCE
Created by Kym Nadebaum 2012