Composition, Depth and Rule of Thirds
The “human eye” watches a movie based on several factors (movement, color, leading lines, points of focus) and the art of “pointing audience attention” to a specific place in the frame is achieved through composition.
Composition refers to how all the cinematic elements within a frame are arranged and balanced. EVERYTHING in a frame is important and good composition shows not only the relationship between the characters, but between the characters and all the other elements in the frame as well.
To help direct the audience to the central story points in a scene a shot is composed using the Rule of Thirds which is where the frame is divided both horizontally and vertically into nine imaginary sections. These sections create reference points that act as guides for composing frames that range from “emotionally pleasing” to frames that are “emotionally unpleasant” depending on what you want the audience to feel at that time.
Because film is a two-dimensional medium, when thinking of composition you also want to Compose for Depth. A frame with depth is always more dynamic than a flat frame so by finding creative ways to add the illusion of depth in your frame, you create a more natural three-dimensional feeling.
The 180 Degree Rule and Crossing the Line
Line of Axis – Before blocking any scene, you should know how the 180 degree rule will effect your choice of camera positions and the movement of your characters. Understanding this rule needs to start early in prep when you begin creating your shot lists and storyboards.
The “180-degree rule” states that if you are filming a scene with two characters, there is an “invisible line” between them and that the camera should always stay on one side of that line (within the 180 degrees) to keep proper screen direction. In most cases, this “line of axis” is determined by where all the actors are positioned (and which way they are looking) in the Master Shot or your widest shot.
For example: if you are shooting a 2 shot of Meghan looking camera right at Andrew (and Andrew looking camera left at Meghan) when you move the camera for a CU of Meghan, she still needs to be looking camera right to Andrew – and vice versa.
Jump Cut – Placing your camera on the other side of the line when doing coverage is called “crossing the line” and will result in an editing jump cut because the two characters who are talking to each other will now look like they’re not talking to each other when the scene is cut together.
Finding Your Key Frames
Key frames in filmmaking are a sequence of drawings that show important “moments” in the story. Key frames differ from a storyboard in that a storyboard usually shows the various shots the director wants to shoot in a scene, but one storyboard panel (a shot) could contain several key frames of a story moment or action.
To find the key frames in a scene, start with your first “key story moment image” and then think about what other specific images (or “frames”) you need to connect together in that scene to tell the story. Keep in mind that one shot (i.e. a long dolly shot) could include a single key frame or multiple key frames.
Copyright (c) 2021 Peter D. Marshall / All Rights Reserved
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