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Master Shot

aka Master

A single wide take that covers an entire scene from start to finish, into which the closer coverage is later cut.

The master shot is the foundational take of a scene: a wide angle that captures all the action and dialogue from beginning to end in one continuous frame. Everything else - the mediums, the close-ups, the over-the-shoulders - is coverage that the editor cuts into the master. Shooting the master first establishes the geography, the blocking and the continuity that every tighter angle must match, which is why it usually goes on the call sheet as the first setup of the scene. A clean master is an editor's safety net: if a close-up does not cut, the wide always holds the scene together.