Coverage is the set of angles you film for a scene so that it can be cut together. A scene with insufficient coverage cannot be edited — not badly, but at all. It is the most consequential thing to get right on the day and the hardest to fix afterwards.
The standard pattern
- 01Master — the whole scene, wide, unbroken. Your safety net.
- 02Two-shot — both characters, medium.
- 03Over-the-shoulder on A, from behind B.
- 04Over-the-shoulder on B, from behind A.
- 05Clean single on A.
- 06Clean single on B.
- 07Close-up on A at the emotional beat.
- 08Close-up on B at the emotional beat.
- 09Inserts — any object that matters.
- 10Reactions — anyone listening.
That is typically 8–12 setups per scene. It looks like a lot until the first time you try to cut a scene you only filmed wide.
Why the master comes first
If the day collapses — and days do — a master alone gives you a scene that plays. Any amount of close coverage without a master gives you fragments that cannot be assembled. Shoot the master first, every time.
The minimum
If you can only get four things: the master, one clean single on each speaking character, and one close-up at the key beat. That will cut. Everything beyond it is improvement rather than rescue.