Here are some tips for effectively composing a wide shot.
Wide Angle Tips
When you are composing a wide shot, especially on film, you have to properly frame the image so that you take advantage of the strengths and weaknesses. The first thing to remember is that wide shots are clips where individual people and items do not take prominence. Instead it is a large all encompassing image where the landscape is of more importance.
Light Meter Tips
You have to take the light reading in the general location instead of on a person. When doing this, try to avoid getting too much bright interference from the sky. This is going to be much more important to focus on when composing a wide shot during the daytime.
The reality here is that you are not going to get a clear spot reading at all since you are focusing on a whole large area. Instead you should try to take several spot readings at representational spots within the location and then creating an average between them. This is going to be easiest if there is no direct sunlight to deal with and slow falloff is the standard. Make sure to take readings in both the absolute darkest and absolute brightest areas, as long as those areas are not just small niches of the image.
Wide Shot Balancing
Try to balance out the image to keep interest in the frame. Try to take advantage of the wide shot by framing an image that really fills up the frame. Also try to get different depths for objects in the frame. For example, on the left frame an object far away while the object in the middle right will be closer. This is also perfect for having a still frame where motion occurs, or attempting to capture the Z-axis.
Proper Purpose
Do not use a wide shot to focus on characters. Characters should be done in medium and close up frames, and the relationships and locations are established through wide shots. Balance the range of different shot types when including a wide shot.
Technological Capabilities
Make sure that you camera can handle the wide shot that you are preparing. Make sure a wide angle lens is being used, or at least a camera that has a native 16:9 format. Essentially you need the device to be able to picture a wide perspective.