Shot sizes & framing · Core
Medium long shot
Also called: MLS, three-quarter shot
ELI5
A shot often showing a person from roughly the knees upward.
Used in conversation
“The storyboard calls for the medium long shot before we move into the detail.”
Definition
A shot commonly showing a person from roughly the knees upward.
Here “Medium long shot” means: A shot commonly showing a person from roughly the knees upward.
Pitch context
You may encounter “Medium long shot” in camera, lenses & lighting conversations or materials.
Why it matters: Explains what the image should look like and how it can be framed, captured and lit.
Connected terms
- ShotMedium long shot is a narrower kind of Shot.
- Medium shotComputed from definition language and shared taxonomy. This indicates proximity, not synonymy.
- Medium close-upComputed from definition language and shared taxonomy. This indicates proximity, not synonymy.
- Full shotComputed from definition language and shared taxonomy. This indicates proximity, not synonymy.
Sources & evidence · 5
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- ARRI — Lens and Camera Technical ResourcesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences / ACES — ACES Glossary and User GuidesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- ScreenSkills — Online Learning Glossary and Job ProfilesSupporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- Epic Games — In-Camera VFX OverviewSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Epic Games — In-Camera VFX Best PracticesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14