The\u00a0<\/span>close-up shot<\/span>, or<\/span> CU<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0tightly frames a character or object. The technique dates back to the 1890s. Typically\u00a0<\/span>close-ups are used to portray a character\u2019s emotions<\/span>, while only framing their face. They are also used to\u00a0<\/span>show specific action<\/span>, like a hand picking up a knife. Close-up shots are also\u00a0used as cutaways to highlight a specific plot point for the audience. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Image:\u00a0Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze<\/em>\u00a0 from the Library of Congress via Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n In January of 1894, the Edison Manufacturing Company filmed Thomas Edison’s assistant, Fred Ott, sneezing. Fred Ott’s Sneeze<\/strong><\/em>, also called Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze<\/em><\/a>, was filmed at the Black Maria<\/a> studio by William K.L. Dickson<\/a>. The Black Maria\u00a0was the first movie studio in America.<\/p>\n This seven second film was the first motion picture to be copyrighted in the United States. It\u00a0is\u00a0considered to be one of the earliest – if not the first<\/em> – uses of a close-up shot <\/strong>in film.\u00a0(Dickson followed this film with the action-packed\u00a0sequel\u00a0Fred Ott Holding a Bird<\/em><\/a>.)<\/p>\n In modern terminology, this shot would now be classified as a Medium Close-Up <\/strong>or MCU<\/strong>. It’s the halfway point between a Medium-Shot<\/strong> and a Close-Up<\/strong>. This shot features Fred Ott’s shoulders and chest. The modern close-up<\/strong>\u00a0only shows an actor’s face.<\/p>\n Image: Maria Falconetti<\/a> in\u00a0The Passion of Joan of Arc via StudioCanal<\/em><\/p>\n Perhaps to most notorious film to feature the close-up<\/strong> was the\u00a01928 drama\u00a0<\/span>The Passion of Joan of Arc<\/a>.<\/span><\/em> The film ran two hours and was almost entirely made up of close-ups<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Director\u00a0Carl Theodor Dreyer<\/a>\u00a0wanted the film to use a great deal of close-ups. He felt that the emphasis on the actor’s facial expressions would help the audience feel the fear that Joan felt.<\/p>\n There were questions, there were answers- very short, very crisp… Each question, each answer, quite naturally called for a close-up… In addition, the result of the close-ups was that the spectator was as shocked as Joan was, receiving the questions, tortured by them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n By the 1950s, the close-up<\/strong> was associated with fame. Having a close-up in a film could turn an actor or actress into a celebrity. The 1950 film Sunset Boulevard<\/a><\/em>\u00a0tells the story of Norma Desmond, a silent film star turned recluse.\u00a0In regard the the films of the silent era, Desmond declares, “We didn\u2019t need dialogue, we had faces.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It was true, as film audiences would develop the feeling of an intimate relationship with the stars of films. The same film would deliver one of the most iconic lines in film history, “All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe First Close-Up<\/h3>\n
![\"Ott-Sneeze\"](\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Ott-Sneeze.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe Passionate Close-Up<\/h3>\n
![\"Joan-Passion\"](\"https:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Joan-Passion.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nReady for My Close-Up<\/h3>\n