Mix Wide, Medium and Close Shots in One Sequence

Shot size describes how much of the subject the frame holds. A wide shot shows the place and where everyone stands. A medium shot shows the action. A close shot shows a face or a detail. A sequence built from one size feels flat. A sequence that moves between sizes keeps the viewer oriented and interested.

Sort your clips by size

Open Media and choose the Assets tab. Hover over a card to play a muted preview of that clip. Sort what you have into wide, medium and close, and note any size that is missing.

Order the sequence

1. Add each clip to the timeline with the + button on its card.
2. Drag clips on the main track into the order you want.
3. Open on a wide to establish the place, move to a medium for the action and use a close for the moment that matters.
4. Check each pair of neighbors. Two mediums of the same subject in a row can read as a small jump, while a medium followed by a close reads as a step toward the subject.
5. Return to a wide when the scene changes, so the viewer knows where they are.

Make a missing size from the footage you have

If one long take has to supply two sizes, split it and punch in on the second half.

1. Play the take and pause where the closer frame should begin.
2. Click the scissors button in the timeline toolbar, or press S with the pointer off the timeline. The clip under the playhead splits at the playhead and the right half is selected. Clicking the clip first would move the playhead to where you clicked.
3. Open Framing in the right panel and raise Zoom. A step to about 130% reads as a new shot.
4. Drag the picture in the preview to put the subject where you want it. The Center button resets the position.
5. Play across the split. The change of size reads as a deliberate cut.

Zoom enlarges the same pixels, so keep punch-ins modest on soft footage.

Give each size its own length

A wide shot holds more information, so give the eye a few extra moments to read it. A close shot delivers one idea and can leave sooner.

To shorten a clip, select it and open the Trim tab. Press the Trim end bar and drag left. The further you drag from your starting point, the faster the end moves, and releasing the bar stops it. The main track closes the gap each time.

Read the shape of the whole sequence

Click Fit in the timeline toolbar. The width of each bar shows the length of its shot, so a long wide followed by shorter mediums and quick closes shows up as a staircase. Play from the start and check that the sequence reads at a glance. If two bars of similar width sit side by side and show the same size, change one of them.

Mix your next scene

Sort the clips for your next scene by size in DepCut and look for the size you are short of. A split and a Zoom can often supply it.