A wide view of the place before the scene starts inside it. A purpose more than a size: usually as wide as an EWS.

Use it when. The first shot of a new location or a new time. Often the outside of the building, or the whole room.

On the phone. 0.5× on a tripod. Shoot it by day and by night; the edit will want both.

The person is small. The place is the point.

Use it when. Open a scene. Show where we are. Show someone alone in a large space.

On the phone. Use 0.5× or 1×. Put the phone on a tripod and keep the verticals straight.

The whole body, head to feet, with a little room around it.

Use it when. The master shot of a dialogue scene. It shows blocking and body language.

On the phone. 1× works well. Leave a little space above the head and below the feet.

Cut at mid-thigh. Westerns used it to keep the holster in frame.

Use it when. Two people who stand and talk. Hands and posture stay visible.

On the phone. 1×. Step back instead of zooming.

Cut at the waist. The neutral, conversational size.

Use it when. Most dialogue. Gestures stay in frame and the face is still clear.

On the phone. 1× or 2×. You will use this size more than any other.

Cut at the chest. Face and shoulders.

Use it when. Dialogue where the words matter more than the actions. The usual size for an over-the-shoulder.

On the phone. 2× if the phone has it. Keep the eyes on the upper third line.

The head, cut just below the chin or at the collar.

Use it when. A reaction. A decision. A moment the audience must not miss.

On the phone. 2×, never 0.5×. A wide lens this close stretches the face.

One detail: the eyes, a hand, a clock face.

Use it when. Tension, or an insert of an object. Use it rarely and never for long.

On the phone. 2× on a tripod. Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure.