closeup

Close-up refers to a shot that tightly frames a subject, filling most of the frame with the subject and minimizing the surrounding environment. In visual media, it is used to emphasize detail, emotion, or significance and is contrasted with wider shot scales such as the medium and long shots.

Types include the close-up (CU), which centers on a face or close-up of an object; the extreme close-up (ECU), which isolates a tiny feature such as an eye or a mouth corner; and macro close-ups, which magnify minute details and are common in macro photography and product imaging. The choice of lens and distance determines how much of the scene is included and the depth of field, with longer lenses or closer focus producing a shallower depth of field.

Purpose and use: In narrative film, close-ups are used to capture actors' expressions, reactions, and inner states, or to draw attention to crucial details. In photography, they can reveal texture, pattern, or product features. Close-ups are often followed or preceded by wider shots to maintain spatial continuity and pacing.

History and context: Close-ups emerged as a standard tool in early cinema and became essential to continuity editing, enabling editors to link scenes through precise reaction shots and emphasis. Technological advances in lenses and lighting broadened its reach across genres and formats.

Related terms and practice: Close-ups are a fundamental element of shot scales and are used across genres, training photographers and filmmakers to balance intimacy with context.