A wide shot (or "long shot") is simply a shot that shows all of something: a room, a building, a mountain. Wide shots help viewers get a sense of "place." They answer the question: Where are we?

Just about every movie and TV scene starts with a wide shot to establish the context of the scene (that's why wide shots are sometimes called "establishing shots”). After beginning with a wide shot, most scenes then cut to closer shots. Verify this by watching TV today. Nearly every scene—whether it is from a game show, talk show, or movie—starts with a wide shot and then transitions to close-ups.