6 Shot System

The 6 shot system is used to help develop a story and make your package much more interesting. It is a sequence of shots arranged in a order to show what a subject is doing. A little sequencing can go a long way in a story but it is important know how to do it correctly. Just follow a few rules and you can have a great package.

The Shots

Wide-
Wide shots help establish what is happening and who your character is. This is normally your first shot.

Close Up of Face-
A close up of the persons face is one of the most important. if you take the close up of face out of a sequence it won't make sense and will your sequence won't look sequenced.

Close Up of Hands-
The hands are another important shot because it shows how things are done and what has to happen in order for something to work, whatever it may be. But it can't be a shot of hands just doing anything, it has to progress your story. There are good shots of hands and then there are better shots of hands.













Medium-
The medium brings you back to your whole subject and what they are doing. It helps to have this shot to keep the progress going.

Over the Shoulder-
The OTS is a tricky one to get but it is very important because it puts you in the characters point of view.

Extra Wide-
This is a good shot to finish with because it lets you capture the whole moment all in one. The subject  and its surroundings.

Rules-
The most important thing to keep in mind while filming is to think about what your film will look like on screen and what audio will go with it. What your hearing must go with what your seeing. Otherwise your viewers will be confused. The 180 degrees rule is another important rule to follow that will pay off while editing. You must stay on one side of your subject and only sequence on that side. it easy to do but hard to remember.

Sequencing is very easy to do with the 6 shot system. It can make a simple story go a long way.