Cowboy Shot
A shot that frames a person from about mid-thigh to the top of the head. It got its name from westerns, where it was often used to keep the gun on a cowboy’s hip in frame. What matters is less the exact size and more the purpose: showing the hands and whatever hangs at the hip.
How it feels
- Tension
- Standoff
- Confidence
- Ease
- Western
When to use it
- A duel or standoff in a western
- The first entrance of a character with a tool or weapon at the hip
- Making the audience watch for when the hands will move
- Showing a standing character’s posture and hand gestures together
In the movies
Not to be confused with
- Medium Shot
- If it cuts at the waist, it is a medium shot. Props at the hip are easily cut off, which defeats the purpose of a cowboy shot.
- Medium Wide Shot
- Some textbooks treat it as the same size. CineBunny calls it a medium wide shot when it cuts just above the knees, and a cowboy shot when it cuts at mid-thigh.
- Full Shot
- A full shot fits the whole body down to the feet.
Prompt
Keyword
cowboy shot
Descriptive
Cowboy shot. The subject is framed from mid-thigh up, so the belt, the holster and both hands are clearly in frame.
Try these combinations
Cowboy shot: just before a western duel
Cowboy shot, framed from mid-thigh up, a gunslinger standing in a dusty main street at high noon, hand hovering over the holster
Cowboy shot + low angle: a character with a tool at the hip makes an entrance
Cowboy shot, low angle, a mechanic with a tool belt walking out of a garage, golden hour