Coverage refers to the practice of shooting a scene from multiple camera angles and distances to provide editorial options during post-production. A fully covered scene typically includes a master shot that captures the entire action, medium shots of individual characters or groups, close-ups for emotional beats, and cutaways or inserts that can be used to smooth over transitions or add visual variety.

The term originates from traditional film and television production, where coverage is insurance against problems discovered in editing. If a performance does not work from one angle, an editor can cut to another. If a continuity error is visible in a wide shot, a close-up might allow the edit to work around it. Coverage also provides creative flexibility, allowing editors and directors to shape the pacing, rhythm, and emotional emphasis of a scene after the fact by choosing which angles and performances to use at each moment. Insufficient coverage limits editorial options and can result in scenes that feel flat or locked into a single perspective.

In AI video generation workflows, the concept of coverage translates to generating a scene from multiple angles, framings, and perspectives to ensure sufficient material for assembly in editing. Rather than generating a single continuous shot and hoping it serves the entire scene, creators working with AI tools benefit from applying traditional coverage principles, producing variations that can be cut together for more dynamic and visually engaging final sequences.