Aniela“Just move the camera around, get some fancy cinematic shots, and you’ll have a great video.”
That’s what a lot of people imagine when they think about video production and editing. Gimbals, tripods, swinging the camera, shooting from all kinds of angles, doing complex camera moves; it looks super cool and very “cinematic.” And honestly, those types of shots are actually very beautiful and eye-catching.
But here’s the thing: You don’t need complicated movements to tell a powerful visual story. Most people are surprised when they find out that a huge part of my video storytelling comes down to just three simple shot types:
Wide, Medium, Close Up.
That’s it. These three are more than enough to make your video feel cinematic, emotional, and compelling.
In this article, I’ll walk you through how a simple mix of these three shots can help you create storytelling videos that are not only visually pleasing but also deeply relatable for your audience.
The Misconception About “Fancy” Camera Work
When people hear that I’m a video producer and editor, they often ask me if I do all those “crazy moving shots” with the camera. It reminds me of a moment back in school. One of my classmates from the Broadcasting Performance and Digital Media program here in Canada was asked why she wasn’t moving the camera around more to get those “cool shots” while filming for a client at the hair salon.
And I totally understood where that question came from. Before I got into videography, editing, broadcasting, and journalism, I used to think the exact same thing: that you needed dramatic movements, complex transitions, and super fancy gear to create a viral, mesmerizing video that people would love.
Those cinematic moving shots are amazing, no doubt. However, as a beginner, they were overwhelming and, honestly, quite challenging to pull off well. What really changed my perspective was learning the art of storytelling through simple, intentional framing, all thanks to our program coordinator and professor, Kyle Christie.
What My Professor Taught Us (That Changed Everything)
As students, we always wanted to pick up the tripod and move it around. Handheld! Tilt here, pan there, zoom in, zoom out! But Kyle would say a big no to handheld shooting. He didn’t want shaky footage. He didn’t want chaos. He wanted clean, steady, thoughtful shots.
So instead of running around with the camera, he had us:
- Set the camera on a tripod
- Focus on getting solid, composed shots
- Stick to: wide, medium, and close-up
To this day, I’m still very comfortable shooting with a tripod. I do know how to use a gimbal, but I often prefer to lock in the tripod and let the storytelling do the heavy lifting through framing. And trust me, it is still a lot of work. If you’re not sweating, you’re probably not working hard enough on set. You’re constantly changing angles, adjusting the tripod height, reframing, and thinking about what each shot is saying. But the results are clean, seamless, and beautiful.
1. Wide Shot
A wide shot is your establishing shot. It tells the viewer, “Here is where we are. Here is the world of this story. For example, if you are filming a singer–songwriter and pianist at her home, a wide shot could be:
- Her sitting at the piano in her living room
- The full view of the room, showing the piano, the window, maybe some plants or decor
- A shot that includes her and the environment together
Think about movies: they often show the outside of the house, a street, or a building before cutting inside to the characters. That’s a wide shot. It’s setting the scene and giving context.
It answers the question: “Where are we?”
2. Medium Shot
A medium shot is a tighter shot that usually frames the subject from the waist up or chest up. This is where we start to get a bit closer to the person and their emotions while still keeping some background in view.
For our musician example, a medium shot could be:
- Her sitting at the piano, framed from the waist or chest up
- Her talking about her song, sharing why she wrote it
- Her laughing or smiling while practicing
Medium shots are great for conversations, interviews, and moments where you want to see both the person and a bit of their surroundings.
They answer the question: “Who is this, and what are they doing?”
3. Close-Up Shot
A close-up shot brings you right into the details. This is where you show:
- Her fingers moving across the piano keys
- Her facial expressions as she sings
- The emotion in her eyes
- The small movements that make her human and real
Close-ups are powerful because they help the audience feel a sense of connection. These shots are all about details and emotion.
They answer the question: “What are we meant to feel or notice right now?”
Pro tip: The more shots you have (that are intentional and usable), the better your edit will be. You’ll have more to choose from, and you can pick the best moments.
How To Mix These Three Shots for Strong Storytelling?
Now here’s where the magic happens. Make sure that while you are shooting, you are not just getting a few wide, medium, and close-up shots. Try to shoot as many shots as possible. You might think, “Okay, but if we are in a limited space, then we won’t have different shots to shoot.” For this, use different angles: left, right, slightly from behind, and from above.
One of the things you can do when you reach the spot to shoot, especially if you are filming at your client’s space, is to look for different elements around you as soon as you arrive. Is there anything striking there? Anything that will help you tell the story better? Is there a beautiful plant nearby, a painting, a hanging crystal, a singing bowl?
Yes, you will be running around and adjusting the tripod repeatedly, but you get to go home with a lot of great shots, and you will thank yourself later for the hard work you did when you are sitting down and finding the best shots while editing.
Bringing It All Together in the Edit
Once you’re back in your editing software, start arranging your shots in different combinations: wide, medium, close-up; medium, close-up, wide; close-up, wide, medium, and so on. Make sure you follow the flow of your story.
This is why it’s important that you have a script or a clear outline of the story you want to tell and a shot list. A shot list is a document that includes all of the key shots you intend to use in your edit, and that matches and flows with the script.
After you have imported and sorted all of your clips, watch your sequence and notice how each shot feels. If something feels “off,” trust that instinct. Rearrange shots until the story feels natural and smooth. If it feels wrong to you, your viewer will probably feel it too.
Don’t Forget About the Sound
Now add music and sound. If you have sound-ups, you can add them in between. A sound-up is when you intentionally bring up the natural sound or dialogue from the scene so the audience can hear it clearly, often for emotional or storytelling impact.
For example, if your singer is singing her song or saying something meaningful and raw, you can bring that sound up. This can take your video from “nice” to deeply emotional.
My next blog will be all about how sound can make or break your video and how you can choose and add sound and music to enhance your video and visual storytelling.
You Don’t Need To Be a Gear Genius To Tell a Great Story!
You don’t need a million gimbal moves to create a beautiful, professional-looking video. Having said that, I am not against using gimbals. Even I want to learn and improve more on that side, because I mostly shoot with a tripod.
But if you are just starting out, or you feel overwhelmed, then these three shots can help you come up with a beautiful, cinematic story. And if you are someone who loves to film yourself, just like I do, this is even more helpful, because you don’t need anyone else moving around with a camera. You can just leave it on the tripod and film yourself.
If this article was helpful to you, then I would love to know what part helped you the most. And if you want more articles like this, subscribe to my newsletter and have storytelling tips delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Until next time, happy shooting and storytelling!
