What is a master shot? A beginner's guide to understanding cinematic storytelling with master shots, expert filmmaking tips, and lens recommendations for perfect shots.
One of the first questions professional filmmakers ask is, "What is a master shot and how do I improve master shots?" Before diving into these concepts, it's important to realize that videography involves multiple elements that contribute to storytelling. Besides master shots, elements like narration, visual aesthetics, video editing, sound, and scene direction must also be considered to create a truly immersive experience for the audience.
What is a master shot?
These scenes serve to establish spatial relationships and act as the narrative foundation for the entire script. Such shots simplify coverage, on which inserts, close-ups, and cutaway shots can be placed.
Imagine these shots from the perspective of a film editor. When they start cutting a scene, this is the first shot they place on your timeline, and then they can add other shot types to it. The perfect capture of these shots here is not a technical exercise but the first step to truly immersive and cinematic storytelling.
The Master Shot in Detail
1. The Coverage of the Master Shot
These scenes are usually shot at the beginning of a scene and often show multiple characters interacting and establishing the scenery. Almost always, the coverage of these shots captures the entire action; in other words: this shot really has to show everything in a scene from start to finish.
Directors ensure that editors have reliable footage with such shots that they can fall back on with other shots. That's why these shots are filmed first in the script and then used as anchors for other shots. In fact, their best defense against mis-shoots or forgotten cuts is one of the oldest tricks ever: using a master shot as a supplement.
2. Master Shot and Cinematic Storytelling
This anchoring and the complete depiction of the characters, setting, and props in a scene give the audience a clear overview of who is where and what is happening in the scene. In other words: with these scenes, you tell a story without saying anything about it.
When you think of the movies you've recently seen, you might recall many scenes where a particular frame includes the full bodies of the characters, their movements within the frame, and their immediate surroundings. This shot was intentionally inserted to anchor the entire narrative of the scene. It's all intentional; a master shot is used to convey a story to the audience.
3. Types and Styles of Master Shots
Although the main goal remains the same, there are still different ways to make such shots. These depend on the scene's requirements, the cinematographic techniques used, and the director's vision for the scene.
The most common is a static wide-angle shot that covers the entire scene without movement. Others are the tracking master shots, where the director uses a Steadicam and moves fluidly with the action.
Remember the breathtaking one-shot fight scene from John Wick: Chapter 4, where the camera follows the shootout as John rushes from room to room through a crumbling building? That was an example of such a shot. Then there are the high-angle master shots, which provide a great perspective and are often used for crowds or when many things happen simultaneously.
4. What is a Master Shot compared to a wide-angle shot?
These are often confused with wide-angle shots, which only serve to illustrate the spatial relationship between the characters in the frame and their environment. Master Shots, on the other hand, are not necessarily made to depict such spatial relationships, as they capture the entire environment, including the interactions of the characters, their movements, and nearby props. They are also made from start to finish to be full of retakes.
Improving Master Shots
Better Master Shots depend not only on camera equipment; creativity is required. Before positioning your camera for close-ups, ask yourself what the story of this scene is and what message it should convey to the viewer. The frame should communicate the relationships of the characters in the shot, their tone, and any conflicts.
Then use blocking to optimally arrange all characters in the frame and deliberately direct the audience's focus. Use an aperture that renders all characters and their props sharply and in detail and evenly lights the scene. Always start with simple, static wide-angle shots and then move on to advanced techniques.
Speaking of wide-angle master shots: We recommend the SIRUI Saturn series, which delivers ultra-sharp details to the edges of the frame and aesthetic lens flares for a more cinematic feel in such shots. With this lens, wide-angle shots for Master Shots can be created in super wide aspect ratios of 2.4:1 with a 3:2 sensor or up to 2.8:1 with a 16:9 camera sensor.
The T/2.9 aperture of the Saturn lens kit also provides top-notch low-light performance for such Master Shots and enables oval bokeh for close-ups. Thus, this lens kit is a complete solution for creative film shooting in 2025 and costs less compared to lens kits of similar class.
Summary:
To summarize the question "What is a Master Shot?": These shots form the backbone of an entire scene for both the film editor and the viewer. These shots are then combined with other types of shots and their coverage. Using anamorphic lenses for such shots, like the SIRUI Saturn lens series, offers full creative freedom on a small budget.
