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10 Compositional Theories ofCinematography
“To me, the camera is like a musical instrument. You use it to control the flow, shape, size and colors of images. ” – Conrad Hall
Rule of Thirds
Imagine a grid that splits the frame into thirds vertically and horizontally. Place the subject along those gridlines. The intersections of the lines are especially compelling.
The Darjeeling Unlimited
The Rule of Odds
Having an odd number of things in a composition means your eye and brain can't pair them up or group them easily. There's somehow always one thing left over, which keeps your eyes moving across the composition.
The Darjeeling Unlimited
Leading Lines
Lines that guide a viewer’s eyes around, or through, the composition are called leading lines.
Amelie
Strong Diagonal
A form of a leading line that can transform a boring composition into a dynamic one.
Inception
Lines of Sight
Lines of sight are created when the subject is looking at something within the frame. This causes the viewer to follow the line of sight to the object being observed.
The Darjeeling Unlimited
Point of View
Moving the camera above, or below, the subject can create a more interesting, dynamic composition.
Hugo
Framing
Use a natural frame within the composition to draw the viewer’s eye to the main subject. Framing can also be used to create a sense of depth, or to provide a context for the shot.
Life of Pi
Simplify
Try to eliminate unnecessary items from your composition – they will only distract the viewer. Sometimes, the most simple of objects make a beautiful composition.
Lawrence of Arabia
Depth of Field
The distance within a composition that is in focus. A shallow depth of field leaves just a small portion of the shot in focus, while the rest remains blurry. It can be used to draw the viewer’s eye to the main subject. It also can compensate for a distracting background.
The Hunger Games
Strong Foreground
A strong foreground element can help bring the viewer into the composition, as well as provide a sense of depth.
Life of Pi
Fill the Frame
It is not always necessary for the entire subject to be included in the composition. Sometimes it is more effective, and interesting, to crop the edges of your main subject.
The Darjeeling Unlimited
Active Space (aka Nose Room)
It is important when you are capturing a shot of an action, that you leave space between the side of the frame and the subject. If you do not do this, the composition will feel unbalanced.
2001: A Space Odyssey
What Principles do you see?
The Darjeeling Unlimited
Spend the next 5 minutes observing the photograph and analyzing the principles of design used by the cinematographer.
“I like movies where you can come back and re-watch them and admire the cinematography 25 years later.” – Rob Zombie
