Insert Shots in Film

Insert Shots

An insert shot is an isolated shot which focuses on a specific feature within a scene. Inserts often involve an object or objects seen from a character's point of view, and are used to show the audience/focus their attention on a very specific detail. Inserts are used to communicate crucial narrative information. There are three main aspects of an insert shot; composition, colour, and timing. 

Composition of an insert shot involves shot angle, shot size, and camera movement. This can help to foreshadow a future event within the film, or an important message which will soon symbolise more meaning. Colour can be used to draw attention to specific points within an insert shot, and can add extra details which will create a deeper impact later on. Timing changes the meaning of a scene: How long the director dwells on a shot and how quickly they switch between insert shots creates a certain level of urgency depending on timing. This has a direct effect on the viewer's understanding of the scene's importance.