basic videography (shot composition)
TRANSCRIPT
Courtesy of jefsamaroon
Courtesy of jefsamaroon
Courtesy of jefsamaroon
In cinematography, composition refers to the frame of the image and how the
elements of the mise-en-scène appear in it. Composition guidelines must be observed when telling stories visually, as in filmmaking.
Before The MoviesComposition rules and conventions are older than cinema and photography. Most of the concepts in this page have been used for hundreds of years in painting. Filmmakers and photographers have borrowed many techniques from painters and used them as a springboard for new ideas and practices. This image, for instance, successfully illustrates lead room, which we will talk about text.
Lead Room
• If a character is looking frame left, then he should be positioned frame right. This makes the framing comfortable because the subject is looking at the open space in front of him. This open space is called lead room or lead space.
If the actors were frame left, looking frame left, then the empty space would be behind them. This doesn’t feel right because they would be looking at the edge of the frame. The proximity to the frame would generate a claustrophobic undertone that could disconcert some viewers.
You may have notice in other movies that when two shots of two actors in different sides of the screen are cut together, the audience surmises that the actors are looking at one another, regardless of where they are.
Rule of Thirds• Another basic composition notion is the Rule of Thirds. To follow it, you have to imagine the
frame with two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, thus creating three vertical sections of the same dimensions and three vertical sections also of the same size. The result is something like this:
• The intersections of the lines are points of interest, where important objects are placed in the screen. These points of interest are comfortable to the eye, thus the middle portion of the frame are sometimes kept “empty” or clear.
• Rules Meant to Be Broken• Filmmakers, like any other group of artists, like to break rules. The
guidelines explained in this pages are just some basic concepts that any cinematographer or camera operator should know and apply. In some circumstances, however, it’s okay to stray away from these rules.
• Overlooking the norm is acceptable with motivation and purpose. With practice, you should be able to conceptualize extraordinary compositions and make them work in your favor. Consider, for example, the two types of composition below.
Static Composition• Compositions with the majority of lines being horizontal and/or vertical are called Static
Composition. In theory, horizontal and vertical lines are somewhat soothing, calm, tranquil
Dynamic CompositionWhen a composition has many diagonal lines it is called Dynamic Composition. The dynamism or excitement comes from the fact the diagonals are somewhat unsettling (as opposed to a static compositions that communicate peace and tranquility).
As shown in the example above, one easy way to make shots dynamic is with an ultra high camera angle looking down at the subject. Depending on how camera is positioned, the natural lines of the environment will look diagonal
