The distance from which a scene is shot can convey different emotions to the audience. The longest kind of shot is known as an extreme long shot, in which everything can be seen. Actors are usually very small, and landscapes and buildings are prevalent. In most cases, these shots establish a scene. When the camera moves a little closer, this is called a long shot. This features all of an actor, head to toe. In many cases, these shots are used to show action sequences. In addition, they can feature multiple actors on screen at one time. The standard waist up shot is known as a medium shot. it is used for many different scenarios; for example, during conversations.
A shot of the head and neck of a character is known as a close-up. Usually used to focus on some sort of facial expression. These shots also convey emotion of the character being featured.
The extreme close-up is the furthest a camera can zoom in. This is a shot that features a very small object or part of the body. These shots are used to call the attention of the viewer to some important detail.
A cut is the transition from one scene to another, which usually tells the audience how the two scenes are related. One kind of cut is a cross dissolve, when one scene dissolves into another. The first scene fades out, while the next scene slowly fades in. This kind of cut is usually used to show the passage of time. Another type of cut is known as a cross-cut: Two scenes are alternated with no fades or dissolves. These kinds of cuts are usually used to show different actions happening in different places at the same time. In a fade-in, the screen fades in from black. This usually establishes a different tone from the scene preceding. Likewise, in a fade-out, the current scene fades to black. This usually ends some sort of continuous scene or action sequence. Finally, there is the wipe. In this kind of cut, one scene pushes another off the screen. This kind of cut is usually used to quickly move from one scene to another.
Just like how the way a scene is shot changes the way a viewer sees a film, scene lighting can also be used to change a viewer's perspective. A scene can have high-key lighting. This kind of lighting is very bright with almost no contrast. It is used to convey comedy or a light-hearted tone. Opposite to high-key lighting is low-key lighting. This kind of lighting is darker with much more contrast, and is usually used to suggest something sinister to the audience.
Characters can be highlighted with lighting from below. In this kind of lighting, the light source appears from the bottom of the shot and is usually used to highlight something horrific, or used to scare the audience. Characters can also be highlighted using back-lighting. This kind of lighting creates a halo effect which highlights the angelic aspect of a character. In other words, back-lighting is used to highlight "the good guys."