Definition of close-up

camera perspective in which the principal subject dominates the picture; a very close shot of a person or an object. There are two types of close-ups, extreme and medium. An extreme close-up, sometimes called a tight shot, is, as its name implies, a more extreme version of a close-up-for example, when the camera closes in on the face of a person and then comes in even closer to focus on an eye. A medium close-up emphasizes the principal subject but includes other objects that are nearby. Abbreviated CU in scripts.