Image Generation / Cinematic Scenes
Categorize shot types by emotional impact — matches shot type to storytelling intent for professional results.
Why This Prompt Exists
Shot type determines emotional impact before a single actor speaks. The wrong shot type destroys the intended feeling — a close-up for an establishing shot, a wide shot for intimate dialogue.
You get:
- emotional moments shot too wide (audience disconnected)
- establishing shots too close (no context, no scale)
- action sequences shot in close-up (can’t follow movement)
- intimate dialogue shot from too far (no emotional connection)
- POV shots from wrong angle (disorienting, not immersive)
But shot types have specific emotional jobs:
- extreme wide: isolation, scale, insignificance, awe
- wide/master: environment, context, relationships
- medium: dialogue, conversation, connection
- close-up: emotion, reaction, intimacy
- extreme close-up: detail, intensity, threat
- POV/over-shoulder: immersion, perspective, empathy
Without classification, shots miss their emotional mark.
This prompt recommends shot types by storytelling intent.
The Prompt
Assume the role of a cinematography educator who classifies shot types. Your task is to recommend shot types based on emotional intent and scene content. Generate: 1. SHOT TYPE CLASSIFICATION TABLE | Shot Type | Description | Emotional Signal | Best For | Avoid For | |-----------|-------------|------------------|----------|-----------| | Extreme wide | Character is tiny in environment | Isolation, awe, scale | Establishing shots | Dialogue, emotion | | Wide / Master | Full body + environment | Context, relationships | Action, group scenes | Intimate moments | | Medium | Waist up | Connection, conversation | Dialogue, interviews | High action, extreme emotion | | Medium close-up | Chest up | Warmth, engagement | News, vlogs, emotional beats | Action sequences | | Close-up | Face only | Emotion, intimacy, intensity | Reactions, emotional moments | Context, environment | | Extreme close-up | Eyes, hands, detail | Threat, detail, intensity | Suspense, reveals, texture | Full scenes | | POV / Over-shoulder | What character sees | Immersion, perspective | Subjective experience, empathy | Objective narration | 2. SCENE TYPE TO SHOT MAP | Scene Type | Primary Shot | Secondary Shot | Emotional Goal | |------------|--------------|----------------|----------------| | Establishing location | Extreme wide | Wide | Show scale, set context | | Two-person dialogue | Medium (over-shoulder) | Close-up (reaction) | Connection, tension | | Emotional revelation | Close-up | Extreme close-up (eyes) | Intensify emotion | | Action sequence | Wide | Medium (follow) | Show movement, clarity | | Horror/suspense | Extreme close-up | POV | Build tension, threat | | Romantic moment | Medium close-up | Close-up (faces) | Warmth, intimacy | | Victory/celebration | Wide | Medium (group) | Joy, scale | | Defeat/sadness | Extreme wide | Close-up (face) | Isolation, loneliness | 3. SHOT TYPE PROMPT TEMPLATES **Extreme wide:** `Extreme wide shot of [subject], tiny figure in vast [environment], cinematic lighting, dramatic scale` **Wide / master:** `Wide shot of [subject] in [environment], full body visible, cinematic composition, filmic lighting` **Medium shot:** `Medium shot of [subject], waist up, [expression/action], cinematic, shallow depth of field` **Medium close-up:** `Medium close-up of [subject], chest up, [emotion], intimate, cinematic lighting` **Close-up:** `Close-up of [subject's face], [expression], shallow depth of field, emotional, cinematic` **Extreme close-up:** `Extreme close-up of [subject's eyes/hands/details], high detail, intense, cinematic` **POV / Over-shoulder:** `Over-shoulder shot looking at [target], POV perspective, cinematic, immersive` 4. SHOT SEQUENCE PATTERNS | Emotional Arc | Shot Sequence | Effect | |---------------|---------------|--------| | Building tension | Wide → Medium → Close-up → Extreme close-up | Increasing intensity | | Revealing scale | Close-up → Medium → Wide → Extreme wide | Expanding context | | Intimate conversation | Over-shoulder (A) → Over-shoulder (B) → Close-up (A) → Close-up (B) | Connection, reaction | | Isolation | Wide (character alone) → Extreme wide (character tiny) | Emphasizing loneliness | 5. DEPTH OF FIELD RECOMMENDATIONS | Shot Type | Depth of Field | Visual Effect | |-----------|----------------|---------------| | Extreme wide | Deep (everything in focus) | Show scale, context | | Wide | Deep to medium | Environment matters | | Medium | Medium to shallow | Separate subject from background | | Close-up | Shallow | Focus on emotion, blur distractions | | Extreme close-up | Very shallow | Intensify detail, isolate element | 6. COMMON SHOT MISTAKES | Mistake | Why It's Wrong | Correct Shot | |---------|----------------|--------------| | Emotional moment in wide shot | Audience disconnected | Close-up or medium close-up | | Dialogue in extreme wide | Too far to see faces | Medium (over-shoulder) | | Action in close-up | Can't see movement | Wide or medium | | Establishing shot in close-up | No context | Extreme wide or wide | INPUTS: Scene description: [E.G., "A lone climber on a mountain peak at sunrise"] Emotional intent: [E.G., "Awe, accomplishment, isolation"] Subject: [E.G., "Climber", "Couple", "Soldier", "Child"] Action taking place: [E.G., "Looking at the view", "Having a conversation", "Running"] RULES: - Extreme wide shots for scale and isolation (shows how small character is) - Close-ups for emotion and reaction (shows what character feels) - Medium shots for conversation and action (shows interaction) - Establish location with wide shot before moving closer (audience needs context) - Cut to close-up on emotional beats (intensifies feeling) - Over-shoulder for dialogue creates immersion (viewer becomes participant) - Depth of field should match shot type (wide = deep, close-up = shallow)
How To Use It
- Extreme wide shots for scale and isolation — shows how small the character is in their environment.
- Close-ups for emotion and reaction — shows what the character feels.
- Medium shots for conversation and action — shows interaction between characters.
- Establish location with a wide shot before moving closer — the audience needs context.
- Cut to close-up on emotional beats — intensifies the feeling.
- Over-shoulder for dialogue creates immersion — the viewer becomes a participant.
- Depth of field should match shot type — wide = deep focus, close-up = shallow focus.
Example Input
Scene description:
“A climber reaches the summit of a mountain after a difficult ascent”
Emotional intent:
“Awe, accomplishment, exhaustion, triumph”
Subject:
“Climber”
Action taking place:
“Standing on summit, looking at the view, breathing heavily”
Why It Works
Most AI users describe scenes without shot types — resulting in flat, emotionally disconnected images that don’t tell a story.
This framework improves outcomes by forcing:
- shot type classification (extreme wide to extreme close-up)
- emotional mapping (which shot signals which feeling)
- scene-to-shot matching (what shot for what scene type)
- prompt template generation (ready-to-use shot descriptions)
- shot sequence patterns (building arcs across multiple images)
Failure modes this prevents:
- Emotional moment shot too wide (audience disconnected, feeling lost)
- Establishing shot too close (no context, can’t understand scale)
- Action sequence shot in close-up (can’t follow movement)
- Intimate dialogue shot from too far (no emotional connection)
This improves on: Generic scene descriptions. Shot type adds directorial intent.
Related to: CS-02 (Lighting) for mood; CS-04 (Composition) for framing.
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