Medium Shot

A shot that frames a person from around the waist to the top of the head. Facial expression and hand gestures show together, along with a fair amount of the surroundings, so it is common in conversation scenes. In this dictionary it cuts at the waist. If it goes down to the hips or crotch, it becomes a medium wide shot.

Camera position seen from the side. It stays at eye level and steps back a little from a close-up.

Camera view. Everything from the waist up shows, with a little room left above the ears.

How it feels

Natural
Conversation
Balance
Stability
Everyday

When to use it

Two people facing each other in conversation
A character explaining something
Scenes that need both hands and face, like cooking or crafting
The middle step in a sequence that moves from wide to close-up

In the movies

Inglourious Basterds (2009) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

Not to be confused with

Close-up: It cuts at the neck or shoulders and focuses only on the face.
Medium Close-up: It frames only down to the chest, so it is closer than a medium shot.
Medium Wide Shot: It goes down to just above the knees, so more body language shows. When it cuts at mid-thigh, it is also called a cowboy shot.

Prompt

Keyword

medium shot

Descriptive

Medium shot of the subject from the waist up, with a little space above the head. Facial expression and hand gestures are both visible.

Try these combinations

Medium shot + eye level: a conversation in a café
Medium shot of two people conversing at a cafe table, waist up, eye level, soft window light
Medium shot + tracking: hands and face while cooking
Medium shot of a chef preparing a dish, slow tracking shot along the counter, natural window light