CLOSE UP SHOT

CLOSE UP SHOT
In film, television, still photography and the comic strip medium a close-up tightly frames a person or an object.
Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots. Close-ups display the most detail,
but they do not include the broader scene. Moving in to a close-up or away from a close-up is a common type of zooming.
Close-ups are used in many ways, for many reasons. Close-ups are often used as cutaways from a more distant shot to show detail,
such as characters' emotions, or some intricate activity with their hands. Close cuts to characters' faces are used far more often
in television than in movies; they are especially common in soap operas. For a director to deliberately avoid close-ups may create
in the audience an emotional distance from the subject matter.
Close-ups are used for distinguishing main characters. Major characters are often given a close-up when they are introduced as a way
of indicating their importance. Leading characters will have multiple close-ups. There is a long-standing stereotype of insecure actors
desiring a close-up at every opportunity and counting the number of close-ups they received. An example of this stereotype occurs when
the character Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, announces "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" as she is taken into
police custody in the film's finale.
Close-up shot of a dog.Close-up shots do not show the subject in the broad context of its surroundings.
If overused, close-ups may leave viewers uncertain as to what they are seeing. Close-ups are rarely done with wide angle lenses,
because perspective causes objects in the center of the picture to be unnaturally enlarged. Certain times, different directors will
use wide angle lenses, because they can convey the message of confusion, and bring life to certain characters.