A Two shot is a type of shot employed in the film industry

Film industry

The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...

 in which the frame encompasses a view of two people (the subjects). The subjects do not have to be next to each other, and there are many common two-shots which have one subject in the foreground and the other subject in the background.

The shots are also used to show the emotional reactions between the subjects. For instance, in the movie Stand By Me

Stand by Me (film)

Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...

, this shot is used multiple times to show these emotions.

An 'American two shot' shows the two heads facing each other in profile to the camera.

Similarly, a three shot has three people in the composition of the frame. In these shots the characters are given more importance; this type of image can also be seen in print advertising.