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What is a shot?

Shots are essentially the building blocks of film. Watch this video from the British Film Institute to discover five separate shots.

We are going to start by looking at the constituent parts of film.

How often do you watch a film or TV programme and think about what makes up the flow of moving images that unfold on the screen? Do you ever consider how moving images tell a story or reveal a narrative? In this section, we’re going to drill down to the foundations of film, starting with shots. Shots are essentially the building blocks of film.

A shot is a continuous section of film or video. There are no edits within a shot. The edits or ‘cuts’ come between the shots.

Watch this short video which shows you five separate shots. (The video is silent.)

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How to Make a Short Film: An Introduction to Filmmaking

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