Master Shot

A master shot captures a whole scene, or a large part of it, in one continuous take, usually from a wide enough angle to see all the key characters and their movement. Once the master is filmed, the crew typically shoots coverage: medium shots, close-ups, over-the-shoulder angles, and inserts of the same action.

The master serves several purposes. It establishes geography for the audience, gives actors a chance to play the full scene, and provides the editor with a complete version of the scene to fall back on if a piece of coverage does not work. The script supervisor uses it as a reference for continuity, so that props, positions, and actions in later angles match.

Not every scene is shot this way. Some directors favor a single designed shot, often called a oner, with no coverage at all, while others skip the full master to save time on a tight shooting schedule. Each approach is a trade-off between flexibility in the edit and time on set.

Writers sometimes confuse the master shot with the "master scene" screenplay format. Most spec scripts are written in master scene style: each scene is introduced by a slugline, and camera angles are left to the director. That is why a spec script rarely calls shots, while a shooting script may add more technical detail later.