Composition - Where objects are placed/arranged in a shot.
'The Rule Of Thirds' when used in the composition of the frame is when you split the frame in 9 separate sections, by drawing a 3x3 grid over the top of the frame. Like a TicTacToe grid on top of the freeze frame. The points in where the lines cross (Horizontal with Vertical) Is where our we normal focus on in the frame. Directors use this to know where to place certain objects in a frame. It also shows us that our natural interests are not normally set exactly in the middle of the screen.
'The Golden Mean' this is when you take a freeze frame and draw a diagonal line straight through the middle of the frame. Then two points of interest should lay on that diagonal line. For example if you take a picture of a stalk and diagonal like through the frame, then the points of interest should be on the Stalks head and tail. The 'Golden Mean' is used frequently by directors to draw our attention to certain objects in the scene.
'Framing' is when you choose to include certain features in the scene and also which features you wish to leave out of the scene. What a director leaves out can be very vital to a Thriller movie. A Thriller shot might exclude objects to create tension and mystery.
Types of shots;
- Extreme long shot (ELS). The point of this shot is to show the surrounds of the subject. 9 times out of 10 the subject will not be able to be seen or it is not clear where the subject is. ELS' are often used as an 'establishing shot.' This is normally the first shot in a scene used to show the audience where the action is or will take place. It can also be used in scenes where the action is very spread out. For example a war movie will use an 'extreme wide shot' can show the scale of the action.
- Long Shot (LS). This shot is used to show a character in their environment. This is obtained by the subject taking up almost all of the frame. In most cases the subjects feet are close to the bottom of the frame and their head is almost at the top of the frame.
- Mid Shot (MS). The Mid Shot shows the subject in a little more detail than the LS, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel if they are looking at the whole of the subject. Its just like having a conversation with an ordinary person, as in that you would be very interested in the lower part of their body. You'd be paying more to them speaking and not very hard on their emotion but its a good enough shot to see some emotion. It is a shot most used by News reporters. It is seen as an emotionally neutral shot, the MS enables room for hand gestures and some if no movement.
- Medium Close Up (MCU). The MCU shot is half way in between the mid shot and a Close Up shot (hence the name). The MCU shot shows the face more clearly, so facial emotions can be shown, without the audience feeling uncomfortably close.
- Close Up (CU). The Close Up shot is used for showing detail, the frame is normally taken up by a certain feature or part of the subject. A Close up of a person usually means a close up of their face. This normally emphasises the persons emotional state. The audience is drawn into the subjects personal space and encouraged to share their feelings.
- Extreme Close Up (ECU). This shot shows extreme detail like a watch in a situation where time is the key. You normally need a specific reason to use the ECU on a person cause it normally shows general reactions or emotion except in very dramatic scenes.
- Cut Away (CA). This normally shows something that's closely related to the reaction, but is not involved. For example a cat when its owner is the main subject in the scene. It could also be a close up of a different part of the subject like the hands of the subject, or it could be something else. The CA shot is used as a 'Buffer' between shots, usually used to help the editing process, or to add an interest or information.
- Two Shot (TS). The TS is used to establish the relationships between two subjects. For example when you see two presenters facing the screen, you get the idea that these people are going to be the shows co-hosts. As they have an equal role in the frame and they will provide an equal input.
- Over the Shoulder Shot. This shot is framed from behind one of the subjects as they come into conflict with another subject. You can normally see half of the back of the head of the first subject, that should occupy about 1/3 of the frame and you should be able to see the face and top torso of the other subject. This shot helps you gain a perspective of where each subjects are with each other from the point of view of one of the subjects. Its a common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating between who's speaking.
- Noddy Shot. Very common within interviews, this is a shot of the person listening and reacting to the subject. Normally interviews are shot with one camera, so the normal routine is to shoot the subject (using OSS or one-shots) For the entire interview, then shoot some noddy shots of the interviewer, these can then be edited into the interview so it can be cut, but it still flows.
- Point of View Shot. This is a shot that shows something from the viewers perspective. It is edited in such a way that it is obvious whose POV it is. But in films such as Thrillers they may use a POV shot to create tension and suspense cause we know that a subject is being watched but we don't know who by.
Camera angles and Camera movement. These are used to show how big, little, fast, slow things are. They are done by various techniques such as:
- Low Angle Shot. This shot is taken below the subject looking up at it. Thus giving the sense of size, power and authority. It puts the viewer in a helpless, inferior position.
- High Angle Shot. This shot is taken from above the subject looking down at it. This makes the subject an appearance that it is helpless, lack of power, inferior. Thus putting the viewer in a position that gives them power and authority.
- Pan Shot. When the camera moves in across the screen while being held still on a tripod, following a subject. This gives a sense of movement or speed.
- Tracking Shot. The camera moves on a dolly in sync with the subject. Thus giving a sense of speed and movement with the action.
- Tilt Shot. This is when the camera pans vertically - up and down. This can give a sense of size and height.
- Canted / Dutch Angle Shot. Where the camera isn't straight, it is slightly offset, it is not straight to the subject. This can give a sense of chaos, insanity or things being slightly out of the ordinary.
- Zoom In / Out. When the camera focuses zooming in or out of a key detail. Can highlight significant objects to audience.
- Steadicam / Handheld. The camera moves around with the action. It gives the viewer a sense of realism (being part of the film). This can create tension / excitement when used in a chase / suspense scene.
- Crane Shot. The camera takes a high angled shot looking down onto the subject. The crane can track, pan and tilt. This gives a sense of size and scale of how the subject fits into the setting.
- Aerial Shot. Where the camera is positioned in a plane or helicopter to get an ELS high angled shot. It gives a sense of location / scale / size.
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