Just like you wouldn’t begin a journalistic article without a lead or end it without some sort of wrap up, the same principles apply to your videos. In the realm of video storytelling, the terms that are used to describe these elements are establishing and closing shots, and they’re important to incorporate into your final product.
In This Lesson
Establishing and Closing Shots
- What are establishing shots?
- Examples of effective establishing shots
- Tips for shooting establishing shots
- What are closing shots?
- Examples of effective closing shots
- Tips for shooting closing shots
[Click here to view and use the Google Slide Presentation “Establishing and Closing Shots”]
Activity
What’s the effect?
The first and last scenes of a video are arguably some of the most important. They can significantly influence the tone of the piece from its outset, and they can have a large impact on what the viewer walks away with.
In this activity, students will watch three videos produced by other student journalists and analyze the effect that their establishing and closing shots have on the audience.
[Click here to view and print the Google Doc handout “What’s the effect?”]