What is an Extreme Long Shot (Extreme Wide Shot) in Film? Definition & Examples

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Published: October 7, 2024 | Last Updated: December 4, 2024

Extreme Long Shot Definition & Meaning

An Extreme Long Shot (or Extreme Wide Shot) (ELS or EWS) is a framing technique that captures a subject at a significant distance, often reducing the subject to a small figure within a vast environment. The primary purpose of an ELS is to serve as an establishing shot, providing us with a comprehensive view of the location and setting.

Reasons to use an extreme long shot

Let’s look at some motivated reasons for using an extreme wide shot in movies.

Establish Where, When, and What

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The opening establishing shot from Bladerunner (1982) is an aerial extreme wide shot of a future Los Angeles. It helps establish the setting of the tech-noir world in which the story is about to unfold. Warner Bros.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

One key reason to choose an extreme long shot is to introduce the story’s physical world. By capturing sweeping landscapes or vast cityscapes, this shot gives viewers essential information about the geographical location (where) and time (when).

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Here, an extreme wide shot from Gladiator (2000) is used to provide us with an overview of the battlefield and the orientation of the Roman army and Germanic tribes at the battle near Vindobona. Universal Pictures.
Source: Film-Grab.com

Orientation is another important aspect. This shot situates us within the narrative, providing a sense of direction or geography. Whether it’s an aerial shot of a battlefield or a panoramic view of a post-apocalyptic city, extreme long shots are often used at the beginning of scenes to let us know where the action will take place.

Creating Emotional Impact

Extreme long shots are also used to establish a character’s relationship to their environment. When a character appears tiny and overwhelmed by their surroundings, it conveys feelings of isolation or insignificance.

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In this example from The Shining (1989), Stanley Kubrick uses an extreme wide shot to establish the remote location of the Overlook Hotel as it closes down for the winter. Already, you can sense the feeling of isolation. Warner Bros.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

This visual device is often used in films with existential or survival themes, such as Lawrence of Arabia, where the vastness of the desert makes the character seem small and vulnerable.

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An extreme wide shot from Lawrence of Arabia (1962) contrasts the small man with the vastness of the desert. Columbia Pictures.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

Similarly, in Mad Max: Fury Road, the post-apocalyptic wasteland reflects the harsh, unforgiving nature of the characters’ world while simultaneously triggering feelings of awe or tension.

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An extreme long-shot example from Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) shows the harshness of nature while instilling a sense of awe and lurking danger in the audience. Warner Bros.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

Showing the vastness of a threatening landscape, like storm clouds gathering on the horizon or the grandeur of a mountain range, builds anticipation while emphasizing nature’s dominance over humans.

Narrative Functions

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Here’s a good example of an extreme wide shot being used to transition between locations and drive the narrative forward. In this shot, Gandalf is on his way to Minas Tirith in Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). New Line Cinema.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

In terms of narrative, extreme long shots also serve practical purposes. Filmmakers often use them to open or close scenes, as a bridging shot to transition between locations or show multiple elements within a large environment.

Extreme wide shots are also useful as tracking shots across a landscape, such as armies marching into battle or characters traveling great distances. A well-composed extreme long shot can reveal the scope of events, especially in large-scale sequences involving battles or natural disasters.

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Here’s another example of an extreme long shot from Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). Here, it’s used as a tracking shot of the caravan. Warner Bros.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

In this way, extreme long shots can be considered narrative connectors. They allow us to introduce or conclude moments in the story by pulling back and giving the viewers a broader perspective.

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Here, an extreme wide shot example from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) is used to reveal the relationship between Frodo and Sam and the distance they still have to travel. New Line Cinema.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

Extreme side shots are also ideal for revealing relationships between various setting components, such as the distance between a hero and their objective or the strategic positions in a military conflict.

Character Development Through Space

When applied thoughtfully, an extreme long shot can offer insights into a character’s development by showing their relationship with the world around them. For example, by placing a lone figure in a desolate environment, filmmakers can suggest themes of alienation or struggle.

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Extreme long shot example from No Country for Old Men (2007). In this movie, extreme wide shots are often used to reflect the struggle and loneliness of the characters. It’s reminiscent of the themes in Westerns, i.e., out here, you’re on your own.

In some films, the surrounding space becomes a metaphor for the character’s internal conflict, as seen when characters appear lost or dwarfed by their surroundings.

This framing technique also highlights socioeconomic status or power dynamics. A wealthy character might be shown in a sprawling mansion, while a poorer individual might be shown in a modest, almost invisible dwelling within a larger cityscape. The shot stresses how the character fits into or is marginalized by their environment.

Thematic Enhancement and Symbolism

Extreme long shots are also effective at reinforcing themes central to a film’s story, e.g., by highlighting man versus nature conflicts or illustrating power hierarchies through spatial relationships. For instance, in films dealing with environmental themes, wide shots of decaying forests or polluted landscapes can underline the narrative’s concern with the impact of human activity on nature.

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Extreme wide shots in Dune: Part Two (2024) are used to give the desert life and become a dangerous character and force to be reckoned with. It shows human vulnerability at the same time. Warner Bros.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

Themes like social isolation or human vulnerability are often explored through extreme long shots. Pulling the camera far back, you can suggest that the characters are only a small part of a much larger, indifferent world. In these cases, the landscape becomes a character in the story that either supports or opposes the protagonist’s goals.

Read more on symbolism in movies.

The difference between a wide shot and an extreme wide shot

A wide shot shows a character’s full body with some breathing room around them in their environment. An extreme wide shot makes characters tiny against their surroundings – they might only take up 10-20% of the frame.

The key difference? A wide shot keeps humans as the main focus, while an extreme wide shot emphasizes the environment over the people in it.

Read more about the Wide Shot (WS) in cinema.

How to create an Extreme Wide Shot

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Extreme long shot example from my short film VECT0R (2020), showing the protagonist walking from right to left in a desolate environment.

From a technical standpoint, extreme long shots require careful composition. The wide framing can make it difficult to direct the viewer’s attention, so it’s a good idea to have clear focal points within the scene. These may be a character, a distinctive landmark, or a striking visual feature within the environment.

Knowing the hyperfocal length of your particular lens and camera combination is important to ensure everything is in focus. Here’s a hyperfocal length calculator and a more in-depth explanation for you.

Lighting and weather conditions also play a key role in making the shot effective, especially in outdoor settings. Aerial photography, drones, or crane shots are often used to achieve the expansive view needed for extremely long shots.

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Director Denis Villeneuve is a master of using slow, extreme wide shots, such as in Arrival (2016). Paramount Pictures.
Image Source: Film-Grab.com

Moreover, these shots are often held longer than tighter frames, allowing us to absorb the details and better understand the environment. This patience is necessary to fully appreciate the scale and significance of what is shown.

Summing Up

Properly executed (read: it has to be motivated), an extreme long shot offers visual and narrative impact, helping immerse us more fully into the story.

It is great for establishing the setting and context, creating emotional tension (fx by showing a battlefield or a storefront closing in), driving the narrative (fx as transitional shots), and carrying symbolic or thematic meaning (fx to mirror a character’s loneliness).

From showing the vast desert in Lawrence of Arabia to the eerie future cityscapes in Blade Runner, a well-motivated ELS helps the viewer understand a movie’s characters and their place in the larger fictional story world.

Up Next: The Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots, Angles, and Movement Techniques in Film.

By Jan Sørup

Jan Sørup is a indie filmmaker, videographer and photographer from Denmark. He owns filmdaft.com and the Danish company Apertura, which produces video content for big companies in Denmark and Scandinavia. Jan has a background in music, has drawn webcomics, and is a former lecturer at the University of Copenhagen.

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