The Art of the Establishing Shot

As the saying goes, "Rules are meant to be broken." This holds not only for filmmaking but for any form of art. You can often achieve spectacular results when you step outside the conventional filmmaking ideals. However, one should still follow foundational practices to ensure your audience can coherently follow the action. Regarding camera shots, one, in particular, can make or break your film’s ability to convey where the sequence takes place — the establishing shot.

Image via Warner Brothers.

What is an establishing shot?

The establishing shot is one of the core foundations of visual storytelling. Typically, it is a long shot and often the first shot of a scene. It helps the audience understand where the following sequence will take place and the thematic elements they can expect from the scene.  

An establishing shot can be anything from a sweeping panorama of a mountain hideout to a street-view wide shot of a cyberpunk diner. The goal is to inform the audience about the scene's external geography.

Video via Daiha. 

See, in interior scenes, viewers can easily become confused if the spatial relationships between characters, their positions, and key objects aren't clearly defined. This confusion is even more likely when exterior locations aren't visually established, and the scene moves linearly from one similar location to another without clear visual cues. For instance, when transitioning from an intelligence office in Hamburg, Germany:

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

To a sister intelligence office in Virginia, United States:  

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

We need to establish the change of location; otherwise, if there is no text on the screen to note the new location, many viewers may assume the scene still occurs in Germany, perhaps in a different office area or a different room.

This is where an establishing shot becomes valuable, indicating to the audience that we are now in a new location. If we were to cut to this shot first: 

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

The audience will now know the scene has moved from France to the United States. 

How do you set up an establishing shot?

Among the many shots, angles, and motion techniques a filmmaker can use, the establishing shot is often one of the simplest. After all, it’s simply a long shot of where the scene occurs. Typically, you don’t need to worry about adding extra lighting, recording sound, or even people passing through the frame if the establishing shot is a cityscape or shot of a building. Just set up your tripod, frame the location, and hit record. Voila, you have an establishing shot! 

However, given an establishing shot is nothing more than a long shot, you might be inclined to reach for a wide-angle lens. Yet, this isn’t always the best choice, especially considering the distance between you and the subject.

For example, if the establishing shot is of an old house on the prairie, and you’re positioned 50 yards away, using a wide-angle lens will push the house back in the composition while capturing more foreground details. 

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

In this case, opting for a standard lens — 50mm or higher — would be preferable, as it keeps the focus primarily on the house itself.

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

Of course, this isn’t a rule you must follow, but typically, the goal is to have the main subject occupy at least one-third of the composition. If you use an overly wide lens from a considerable distance, the subject might become a minor element within the scene.

Image via Warner Brothers. 

Additionally, it's essential to consider what you are establishing with your shot. For example, if you were to license an aerial stock video clip of a city skyline because your sequence takes place in an office there, and we go from this shot: 

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

To this shot:

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

It still leaves some ambiguity about where this sequence is taking place (although that could be the point). Therefore, pairing that general cityscape with a shot of a specific skyscraper might be more effective. This could be from ground level or angled towards a particular floor, giving the audience extra awareness of the precise location. 

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor. 

This approach helps viewers better understand where the scene unfolds rather than just the general city setting. Of course, an establishing shot isn’t always necessary…

When to not use an establishing shot

So, are there moments when we wouldn’t necessarily want to use a wide establishing shot? Indeed, there are. In some sequences, it might not be ideal for cutting to a new establishing shot, even when transitioning from location to location.

For example, consider the naval battle sequence in “Master and Commander.” Both ships fire back and forth; the cannonballs cause visual chaos with debris and exploding wood, with the scene frequently cutting between the turmoil and the damage on board each vessel. 

Video via Movieclips. 

Although we may not always know which ship we're on unless we see a specific character or the recognizable uniforms of the Allied forces, it’s not always necessary to include an establishing shot just to clarify the location. In this case, the confusion and lack of geographical clarity enhance the story, reflecting the chaos of battle.

Another scenario where establishing geography might not be ideal is commonly seen in crime procedurals or thrillers during a cat-and-mouse chase between the protagonist and the antagonist. Here, the audience might believe the hero is closing in on the villain, only to discover that the villain is one step ahead. This often leads to an empty warehouse or another unexpected outcome.

A prime example is “The Dark Knight,” where clever editing and a lack of establishing shots heighten the tension. Batman races towards a warehouse to save his loved one, only to find that he’s been misled — it’s the location where Harvey Dent is held. The absence of an establishing shot maintains the suspense, making the audience experience the same shock as Batman when he realizes he’s been deceived, ultimately amplifying the emotional impact. If establishing shots had been used to indicate that Batman was heading to the wrong location, the sequence would have lost much of its tension and emotional weight.

Video via Jorge Herrera. 

Likewise, if the transition to a new location is implied through the action of the current sequence, an establishing shot may not be needed. For example, say we have a character stuck in afternoon New York traffic in a taxi, stressing about missing a flight, so he calls his partner to let them know, and then we cut to their partner picking up their phone while in the airport, we understand this is a continuation of the action. In this case, an establishing shot of the airport wouldn't be necessary. 

Thematic uses of establishing shots

Just because an establishing shot sets a location doesn’t mean it can’t also introduce narrative elements that help lay the story's foundation without overwhelming the audience with exposition. A great example is in Marvel’s “Captain Marvel”.

The film begins with the titular character in a space battle, where she gets captured by the enemy and escapes to Earth with a crash landing. Since the battle took place in space, there’s no immediate indication of the time or period in which the film is set. However, a subtle nod to the period is provided through the establishing shot of where she crashed: a Blockbuster store. Within the window, there’s an Arnold Schwarzenegger “True Lies” cardboard cutout advertising that the video is now available for rental.

Image via Disney.

This brief establishing shot effectively conveys the period using three elements. First, we see Blockbuster, a now-defunct store. Second, we see videotapes, which are no longer in mass production. Third, the reference to “True Lies,” a film released in the early 1990s, solidifies the setting. In just a few seconds, this shot subtly provides the audience with information that establishes the story’s setting in the 1990s. 

While one of the simpler tools in a filmmaker's arsenal, you can put forward a lot of information with an establishing shot. 

Establishing shots are also practical tools for transitioning out of an intense scene or into an action sequence. A great example of this can be seen in Christopher Nolan's “The Dark Knight” (2008). In this sequence, Bruce Wayne and Alfred travel to Hong Kong to extradite a criminal suspect troubling Gotham. The scene shifts abruptly from Bruce and Alfred talking in the lobby of a building during the day to Batman standing atop a skyscraper at night. An establishing shot acts as a smooth transitional tool between these scenes.

Video via Flashback FM. 

If there is a cardinal sin in filmmaking, it’s to show the mundane and unnecessary. For instance, we don’t need to see Batman climbing up the skyscraper or navigating elevator shafts. That information doesn’t advance the story. However, cutting from Bruce and Alfred in the lobby (shot A) to a close-up of Batman overlooking Hong Kong on the skyscraper (shot B) would feel too abrupt. The establishing shot bridges these scenes, providing a smooth transition while indicating a shift in time from day to night and a new narrative beat.

Similarly, after capturing the suspect and leaving Hong Kong, the scene transitions to a wide shot of a plane departing the city. While this shot isn’t technically an establishing shot since it signals the end of the sequence rather than the beginning, it shares similar properties: a wide view of the cityscape that serves as a visual bookend to the action, providing closure to the scene.

Image via Warner Brothers.

Establishing shot vs. Wide shot

What's the difference between a wide shot and an establishing shot? This is an excellent question because, at first glance, a wide shot might seem synonymous with an establishing shot. After all, they share many of the same visual characteristics, even if an establishing shot is typically more of a long shot depending on the type of location being established. But let’s dive deeper into the distinction between the two.

A wide shot captures a broader view of a scene but doesn't inherently serve the same purpose as an establishing shot. For example, if we move from a close-up of two characters having an intense conversation in a diner to a wide shot of that scene, it isn't necessarily an establishing shot. It’s simply a wider view of the ongoing moment.

Image via Paramount Pictures. 

Take this additional example from the opening sequence of “Once Upon a Time in the West.” It would be considered a wide shot, but it certainly isn’t an establishing shot, as the location has already been established.

While an establishing shot is often wide and long, its true visual function is to orient the audience. Typically, it appears as the first shot in a scene and is intended to notify viewers of a change in location or setting. On the other hand, a wide shot can be used at any point in a scene without necessarily indicating a shift in location.

Other uses of establishing shots

While it's not necessarily a filmmaking sin, many filmmakers strive to avoid using text exposition to indicate a time shift within the narrative of a film or television show. Instead, establishing shots can serve as effective tools for conveying the passage of time — whether it’s a day, a morning, or even several months.

For instance, if you have a recognizable establishing shot of a castle with trees and a creek in the foreground that has been used several times, revisiting that shot with environmental changes can signal a time shift. If the leaves have fallen and the creek has frozen over, it’s clear that the scene has moved from spring or summer into deep winter. This visual cue allows filmmakers to communicate the progression of time to the audience without relying on text. 

This technique is very commonly used in sitcoms with locations that are frequently revisited every episode, and even in animated shows! Take the establishing shot below from “Family Guy,” for example.

Image via Fox.

If, later in the episode, the storytellers shift to this version of the establishing shot, we immediately know that it’s not only later in the year but also December. 

This is conveyed through the elements within the composition and framed in the establishing shot. There is no need for on-screen text or expository dialogue to indicate the shift.

Conclusion

Establishing shots are instrumental to filmmaking, and now you’ve got the know-how to use them correctly. Ready to put your new knowledge to the test? Well, head over to the WeVideo editor, where you can easily import a range of establishing shots with the built-in tools. See what you can create and how different angles bring out different emotions.