So you've written a script or decided on an idea, but what do you do next? Well I'll tell you what you don't do. You don't just go out and shoot with no conception of the shots you need to get your story across.

There are a few different shot designations that are used most frequently:

The Establishing Shot (ES)
This is almost like a master shot, but it's more of a general set up, such as showing a location. When you watch movies like "13 Days" and there's that wonderful stock shot of the Whitehouse, that's an ES. When it cuts to the inside and there's a shot of Bobby, Jack, and Kenny sitting in the oval office, that's a master shot. An ES might also have a person in, such as a figure walking into the Whitehouse.

The Master Shot
The master shot includes everyone and everything that is important in that scene. When you shoot a master shot you have to be careful, especially if you shoot it first. Because the continuity must flow from shot to shot. You can put it anywhere really or you can leave it out if you think it interrupts your flow.

The Long Shot (LS)
A long shot shows a character from head to two.

The Medium Shot (MS)
This is showing a character from the waist up.

The Medium Long Shot (MLS)
There are of course cross overs. This would be from just above the knees up. It's also called at 3/4s shot or a Hollywood Shot.

The Close Up (CU)
This one is kind of famous , so I'm sure I don't have to define it, but I will anyway. Technically, this shot is considered to be from the top of the head to just below the shoulders. Hardly any of the background is shown. You could also have a CU of an object.

The Medium Close Up (MCU)
This is used to describe a shot from the mid chest up.

The Wide Shot (WS)
A wide shot is used to show characters and their environments. It is different from a master shot in that it may not show the whole scene. There may be just one person in it with a lot of background. You could also say MCU WS, or LS WS. Just illustrating that you want a Medium Close up with a lot of background showing or a Long Shot, wide showing the background.

And then you have:

The Two Shot (2S)
Two people being shown in the frame. Usually they are talking to each other or walking. They can be facing toward each other or forward or at an angle or it can be of their backs.

The Over the Shoulder (OTS)
This is seen A LOT in movies. It's when two people are talking (or more) and the camera cuts back an forth in between them by looking over the other's shoulders. Just be wary of the 180 degree rule. This means that if you establish an actor on the left of the frame, keep him on the left of the frame when you go over his shoulder. Breaking this rule can be done, but be very cautious. If it's done wrong, the audience will be very disoriented although they may not know why.

The Cutaway
This is when the camera cuts to an important object or person doing something. It is always a CU. It may also be called an Insert.

And then there is motion:

Panning and Tilting
Moving the camera back and forth or up and down. This is best done with a fluid head tripod because a shaky pan or tilt often looks AWFUL, especially if you are doing something that's not documentary style.

Zooming vs. Dollying
Zooming is most of the time all amateur videographers and documentarians have available most of the time. But the main difference between the two is that zooming gives the AUDIENCE a sense of the scene being pulled toward them and dollying is smoother in that it feels as if the audience is moving in toward the scene.
Either way a "push in" or a "pull out" is generally referring to zooming or dollying.

Those are what a movie is made up of! Mostly. There are also things such as lens tricks, but that will be another article!

Go shoot something!