Editing Close-up (section)

==Practical application==
Close-ups are used in many ways and for many reasons. They are often employed as [[Cutaway (filmmaking)|cutaway]]s from a more distant shot to show detail, such as characters' [[emotion|emotions]] or some intricate activity with their hands. Close cuts to characters' faces are used far more often in [[television]] than in [[film|movie]]s{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}} and are especially common in [[soap opera]]s{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}}. For a director, deliberately avoiding close-ups may create in the audience an emotional distance from the subject matter{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}}.

Close-ups are used for distinguishing main characters. Major characters are often given a close-up when they are introduced as a way of indicating their importance. Leading characters will have multiple close-ups. At the close of ''[[Sunset Boulevard (1950 film)|Sunset Boulevard]]'' (1950), the main character, a faded star under the delusion that she is making a triumphant return to acting, declaims melodramatically, "All right, Mr. [[Cecil B. DeMille|DeMille]], I'm ready for my close-up."

Close-up shots do not show the subject in the broad context of its surroundings. [[Low-budget film]]s may use close-ups to avoid the expense of [[set construction]]. If overused, close-ups may leave viewers uncertain as to what they are seeing. Close-ups are rarely done with [[wide-angle lens]]es because perspective causes objects closer to the lens to be unnaturally enlarged. That may convey a sense of confusion, intoxication, or another unusual mental state.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}