Covering is a term used by film or television directors that expresses their way of choosing camera angles and camera moves and different shot types to ensure the footage encompasses (or ‘covers’) the action and dialogue in the script. Hence the term ‘cover shot’ which is usually understood-in film making - to mean a wide-angle shot of the entire scene that covers all the action. The more common name for a cover shot is the ‘master shot’. In photography however the term cover shot is usually referred to as a master shot or photograph used for the cover of a publication.

Covering a scene can be achieved by using a single ‘master shot’ or cover shot, but more usually refers to the process of filming and gathering a range of different shot types (wide-angle, extreme close-up etc) in order to give the editor and director creative choices in the editing process after filming.