# Establishing shot

Canonical URL: https://www.cineoboard.com/glossary/establishing-shot

An establishing shot shows where we are before the scene plays. On a storyboard it is usually a wide with a short duration, not a poster.

Last updated: 2026-09-13

An **establishing shot** tells the audience where they are: exterior of the building, a kitchen wide, a map. It is often a [wide](/glossary/wide-shot) with a short duration (2–4s) before coverage starts. It is not a poster; it has to cut to the first line.

Skip it when geography is already known (the fifth scene in the same room). Board it when the location is new or the joke is the place.

Related: [coverage](/glossary/coverage), [beat](/glossary/beat).

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