Most directors have used the Cowboy Shot hundreds of times without knowing its name.
It’s not a Western thing. It’s not a genre thing. It’s not only for films. It’s the frame that sells the moment before anything happens.
It works in romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and yes, even game cinematics.
I wrote about why it never gets old, who it’s actually for, and the one place everybody forgets to look for it.
https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/tutorials/v7ob/unreal-engine-fortnite-the-cowboy-shot-the-tension-frame-nobody-talks-about