Which shot focuses on the subject from the waist up?

The correct choice is the medium shot, which emphasizes the subject from the waist up. This type of shot serves to establish a balance between the character and their surroundings, allowing viewers to see the subject’s facial expressions while also giving context through the background. Medium shots are frequently used in dialogue scenes because they create a connection between characters and effectively convey emotions while not entirely isolating the subject from their environment.

In contrast, a wide shot captures a broader view, often including the entire setting or multiple subjects, making it less focused on the individual details of the person. A close-up concentrates on a subject's face or an object in detail, isolating the subject from the surroundings and enhancing emotional impact, while an extreme close-up goes even further to focus on minute details, such as a person's eyes or a specific detail of an object, often to create dramatic emphasis. The medium shot, therefore, is the most appropriate for conveying both character presence and context from the waist up.