two shot two shot As its name implies, the two shot includes two characters in the same composition. Two shots are usually accomplished using medium long, medium, and medium close ups, al- though any shot that features two characters can also tech- nically be called a two shot. An extremely common use of the two shot is as a master shot for covering a conversation between two characters, either by itself or in coordination with other shots of various sizes, designed to shape the dra- matic arc of the exchange. The blocking of the characters in a two shot can make a vivid narrative point about the dynam- ics of their relationship; this is true of any shot that includes iting. When the composition stays constant and no editing is used, the audience has to become active, constantly search- ing for clues to decode the dramatic intent of the scene (what André Bazin, a seminal film theorist, called the "mise-en- scène aesthetic"). Jim Jarmusch uses this strategy in the "Far From Yokohama" segment of his film Mystery Train (1989). The story follows a teenage Japanese couple (Masatoshi Nagase and Youki Kudoh) as they visit historical blues and rock & roll landmarks in Memphis, Tennessee. Almost every shot in this segment is a two shot, suggesting both the deep connection