Filming & Production
Focal length
Also called: lens length, mm
A low number, say 16mm, takes in a wide field and exaggerates whatever sits nearest the glass. A high number, say 85mm, takes in a narrow slice and flattens features out. That is why a talking-head shot on a wide lens held close makes a nose look enormous, while the same face at 50mm from further back looks the way the person actually looks. Focal length interacts with sensor size, so a 24mm lens on a crop body frames roughly like a 35mm on full frame. Set your distance first, then pick the lens that fills the frame from there.