establishing shot

American  

[ih-stab-li-shing shot] / ɪˈstæb lɪ ʃɪŋ ˈʃɒt /

noun

1. (in film and TV production) a scene-opening shot, usually very wide, that sets up the context for the scene.

   Opening a movie with an establishing shot of a city skyline was especially common in the sixties and seventies.

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Etymology

Origin of establishing shot

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

establishing shot

Instead of spending the money on a pricey establishing shot of the car driving on the 101, Wain inserts a brief vintage clip of a ’70s-era taxi, humming along the road.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

After the meeting, it’s Takahashi and Mayuzumi we follow back to nearby Tokyo, first seen in an establishing shot almost exaggeratedly unappealing after the crisp countryside beauty in cinematographer Yoshio Kitagawa’s camerawork.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2024

There is neither reprieve offered by an alternative angle nor extra knowledge gained through an establishing shot; the enemy can emerge from any direction.

From The Verge ● Aug. 5, 2022

It’s more than a prologue or an establishing shot: It’s a careful introduction of colors, an intricate staging of uncertainties that must be executed, as it was on Thursday, with extreme sensitivity.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 1, 2022

He must have seen the movie a thousand times, so he recognized this brief establishing shot before the credits.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny