When it comes to describing film, I often find myself using many words interchangeably... "scene" and "sequence", the composition of "a frame" and the composition of "a shot". When we're together using these words in context, the nuanced definitions don't really matter as long as we understand each other, but I thought I would define the terms, since they do have explicit meanings in film.

As with all vocabulary, there are often multiple definitions - and definitions can shift overtime and depending on context.

What is a "shot" in film?

For example, a shot refers to the continuous footage between two edits.

So, a director may call "action" and film a take until they call "cut" to end the take. But then the footage filmed from that take will be edited into a sequence by ordering shots together with transitions between them (the most common of which is the barely noticeable, "cut").

So a shot is a section of film between two edits.

Note this example from the opening sequence of Alex Garland's 2014 film, Ex Machina. There's a cut after the title card and then we have our one shot of the woman sitting at her computer:

What is a "sequence" in film?

A sequence is a series of shots that work together to advance a story.

If we think about how a film, or movie, is one entire story - then a film is made up of multiple film sequences.

Notice how the example shot above fits in to the opening sequence of Ex Machina:

The woman in the first shot appears towards the end of the sequence, excited for the man seated center frame.

What is a "scene" in film?

A scene, somewhat similar to a sequence, is a segment of a narrative (a story) that takes place in a single location and time, or shows multiple simultaneous actions.

You can have a scene in a film.

You can have a scene in a play.

You have a scene in a book.

A scene is essentially a mini story within the larger story of a play or film, that takes place in either one location, OR it could be showing the action taking place in multiple locations. The point is that those actions are taking place at the same time.

A scene has its own beginning, middle, and end. And I like to think that most good scenes have conflict, or tension of some kind.

For the purpose of a Film Studies class, using the word scene might refer to the narrative elements of a film, whereas using the word sequence might refer to the technical or film technique elements of a film. Consider the example below:

As mentioned at the start of this post, I often use the words "scene" and "sequence" interchangeably. But if you're using them in formal, academic writing - you might use them to refer to more specific aspects of film.

Scene might refer to the more narrative elements. In the example above, the "scene" description includes an explanation of plot: a young man winning a grand prize.

Sequence might refer to the more technical aspects of cilm. In the example above, the "sequence" description refers to the pacing of the shots and the effect created by the rapid pacing: anxiety and anticipation.