Shot sizes & framing · Core
Medium shot
Also called: MS
ELI5
A shot often framing a person from roughly the waist upward.
Used in conversation
“The storyboard calls for the medium shot before we move into the detail.”
Definition
A shot commonly framing a person from roughly the waist upward.
Here “Medium shot” means: A shot commonly framing a person from roughly the waist upward.
Pitch context
This term helps a treatment describe how the camera or light will shape the viewer's experience.
Why it matters: Explains what the image should look like and how it can be framed, captured and lit.
Connected terms
- ShotMedium shot is a narrower kind of Shot.
- Medium close-upComputed from definition language and shared taxonomy. This indicates proximity, not synonymy.
- Medium long shotComputed from definition language and shared taxonomy. This indicates proximity, not synonymy.
Sources & evidence · 8
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- Adobe — Adobe Premiere Pro User GuideDirect source · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- AICP — Suggested Best Practices for Bidding and Bidding Reference GuideDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Directors Guild of America — DGA Creative Rights HandbookDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Epic Games — In-Camera VFX OverviewDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- 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 Best PracticesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14