A storyboard panel without a shot-type annotation is half a document. The drawing communicates composition; the annotation communicates intent and craft direction.
Crew read storyboards in a specific order: scene number first, shot number second, shot type third, then they look at the drawing. The shot type tells the DP what lens to load and the gaffer what lighting setup to prep — often before they ever see the panel.
Here is the complete reference.
Wide Shot (WS / EWS / LS)
Establishing the geography. Wide shots show where the action happens.
- EWS (extreme wide shot) — landscape, cityscape, full environment
- LS (long shot) — frames a character within a recognizable environment
When to use: scene openings, location reveals, isolation beats, scale moments.
Medium Shot (MS / MLS / MCU)
Showing character action. Medium shots frame from waist or chest up.
- MLS (medium long shot) — extends to roughly knee level
- MCU (medium close-up) — tightens to mid-chest
When to use: dialogue scenes, action without facial emphasis, two-character conversations at standing distance.
Close-Up (CU / ECU)
Reading emotion. A close-up fills the frame with the head and shoulders. An extreme close-up (ECU) fills the frame with eyes, a hand, an object detail.
When to use: emotional reveals, decisive beats, key prop emphasis, suspense moments before a cut.
Over the Shoulder (OTS)
Anchoring the conversation. OTS frames one character past the shoulder of another. Standard coverage for dialogue scenes — pairs with reverse OTS to cut a conversation.
When to use: every two-person dialogue scene, interrogation beats, confrontation framing.
Point of View (POV)
Putting the audience inside a character. POV frames what a specific character is looking at, from their literal eyeline.
When to use: suspense, mystery, character-aligned reveals, action sequences where audience identification matters.
Two-Shot (2S)
Holding two characters in one frame. Used heavily in dialogue to avoid over-cutting OTS pairs.
When to use: rhythmic dialogue scenes, character chemistry beats, comedy timing.
Insert (INS)
Isolating an object or detail. Inserts frame a hand, an object, a screen, a piece of evidence — anything where the audience needs to read the detail clearly.
When to use: revealing a clue, emphasizing a prop, transitioning between scenes.
Camera movement annotations
Beyond shot type, every panel can carry a movement note:
- PUSH — camera moves toward subject
- PULL — moves away
- PAN — rotate horizontally
- TILT — rotate vertically
- DOLLY — camera body moves on tracks
- CRANE — vertical movement
- HANDHELD — intentional unsteadiness
- STATIC — locked-off tripod
Movement notes go on the panel either as text or as arrows drawn directly over the frame.
Putting it together
A complete storyboard panel annotation might look like:
Scene 4 · Shot 4A · MS PUSH
"Land her decision — push lands on close-up of hands"
MARIA: "I'm going."
That single line tells the DP the lens, the gaffer the lighting prep, the AD the timing, and the editor the cut intent.
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Full reference with examples: storyliner.online/learn/shot-types
