Begin the scene with a wide shot. This shot should be of the general location of the story. Some suggestions are shooting the city skyline or mountain ridge. The shot will show more details if taken from a higher level like a skyscraper or a helicopter. Including landmarks that are well known by most audiences will help to identify the place. An example of this would be the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, the Golden Gate Bridge or the White House.
Set up the second frame of the scene as a medium wide shot to reveal details of the location. For example, by coming in closer the audience will be able to see specifics like the front of a building, the front door of a house, a football stadium field or the sign in front of a college. Doing this will also allow the audience to place these buildings and structures in a particular city, state or country because of the wide shot preceding this one.
Shoot the third frame to set up the scene with a close up shot of the actors or animals performing their roles. To bring the viewers into the story even more, you can shoot an extra close shot of the props that are part of the scene like books, a plate of food or a clock to symbolize the time of the events in the scene.