Establishing Shot: Everything You Need to Know

An Establishing shot is the first shot in a scene that is taken to setup the context of the scene ahead. It shows the relationship between people and objects, and establishes the scene’s geography. Sometimes this shot is taken as an aerial shot to show the complete setup and the setting to the audience from the distance. Establishing shots are put at the beginning of a scene to setup the mood and tone of the audience.

Trademark of the establishing shots:

• Use wide shots and/or aerial shots for geography
• Show the relationship between characters and the story world
• Set the tone and mood of a scene - can help foreshadow
• Show the passing of time
• Sets the grounding of scene in time
• Provides supportive details

Some of the factors showing why the establishing shots are different from other shots in the movie or video:

1- Establishing shots are the small sized few seconds shots that sets the mood of the stage for what is about to happen in the next scene of the movie.

2- Most of the establishing shots mainly focus on the setting of the location to be used in the next scene and does not require characters in it.

3- Establishing shots also does not include dialogues as they are being presented with the music & sound effects.

4- Establishing shots does not sets an emotion with the viewers but it sets a mood about what will be the emotion in the next scene going to happen.

Some of the examples of the establishing shots used in the movies:

The Grand Budapest Hotel – The director Wes Anderson used an establishing shot; this was an aerial shot that shows the location and geography of the scene to users. The tone and mood were also set with this shot as it also establishes the fun and lighthearted tone of the film.

Harry Potter – The director used establishing shots in many of its' scenes with shots of Hogwarts. These shots were used to show the change of season with the movement of school year. The snow-covered Hogwarts shows that the winter season is coming.

The Shinning – A haunting masterpiece of Stanley Kubrick’s shows an establishing shot where it shows the actual setting of the film showing the mountain range and the rivers in the shot.

Ways to use the establishing shots

• The Wide Shot
This is the most common and most used shot in the films for the establishing shot as it shows the complete setting of the location with its wide look. Filmmakers can use extreme wide or very wide shots for this purpose.

• The Classic Shot
The classic shot is the perfect establishing shot if you are looking for shot to enhance and show a more specific targeted location at the setting for a scene.

• Incorporating the Story
Some of the modern directors have started incorporating the elements of the movie in their establishing shot for a particular scene to make it more attractive.