Film grammar / Shot sizes
Close-Up
The face fills the frame; emotion becomes the subject.
What it is
A close-up (CU) fills the frame with a face or a single object. Every micro-expression is magnified, which is why close-ups are saved for the moments that matter.
When to use it
Longer lenses (85mm and up) flatter faces and blur the background; wider lenses close to the face feel uncomfortable and are used for tension.
How to prompt it
For video models, a close-up plus a small action ("his eyes narrow", "she exhales") gives the most stable, realistic results - faces rarely warp when the motion is small.
Close-up, a man driving at night, face lit by passing orange sodium street lights sliding across the windshield, he glances at the rear-view mirror, 35mm lens.
14 examples in the library
The Trench
handheldclose-up
Blue Glow
slow push-inclose-up
Night Drive
static car-mountclose-up
Passing Fields
staticclose-up
First Night
staticclose-up
Mayday
staticclose-up
Sync
slow push-inclose-up
Weightless
slow orbitclose-up
Turntable
staticclose-up