Framing– Rule of Thirds, Headroom, Leading:
When you film anything, be it person or animal or inanimate object, you will always have to decide where to place the object in the frame. No matter what side you film from, or from what angle, you will always have to point the camera. There are three basic principles to making your shot pleasing to the eye. That is the audience will know what its supposed to be focusing on and feel comfortable with ascetics of the shot (When you've mastered this you can experiment with purposefully making the audience UNCOMFORTABLE with a shot).
Rule of Thirds:
The ‘Rule of Thirds’ is a basic principle in all visual art found throughout history. In simple terms it means that you divide the frame up into three sections and place the subject of the shot on one of those lines. More specifically pay attention to where you place the subject’s eyes. A third of the way to one side and on the upper third of the frame is the most common way of framing them. Now you can play with this technique and place subjects further over to one side or the other than the rule of thirds guide as you like. What’s important is to understand the idea of placing the subject to one side of the frame. This is called a ‘weighted’ frame.
The ‘Rule of Thirds’ is a basic principle in all visual art found throughout history. In simple terms it means that you divide the frame up into three sections and place the subject of the shot on one of those lines. More specifically pay attention to where you place the subject’s eyes. A third of the way to one side and on the upper third of the frame is the most common way of framing them. Now you can play with this technique and place subjects further over to one side or the other than the rule of thirds guide as you like. What’s important is to understand the idea of placing the subject to one side of the frame. This is called a ‘weighted’ frame.
Now we’re going to combine that with the next two principles.
Headroom:
Headroom refers to the space above the subjects head. It should be minimal in most cases. This means your subject will be in frame as much as possible in terms of height and little frame space will be ‘wasted’ above their head.
TOO MUCH HEADROOM!
Headroom refers to the space above the subjects head. It should be minimal in most cases. This means your subject will be in frame as much as possible in terms of height and little frame space will be ‘wasted’ above their head.
TOO MUCH HEADROOM!
Leading:
The third principle is ‘Leading the Subject.’ In simplest terms this means having space in the frame in the direction the subject is looking. So if your subject is looking right, you’d have them on the left side of your frame with space in front of them on right side.
The third principle is ‘Leading the Subject.’ In simplest terms this means having space in the frame in the direction the subject is looking. So if your subject is looking right, you’d have them on the left side of your frame with space in front of them on right side.
Types of Shots
Filmmakers have broken down what to call different types of shots. These can be very helpful when communicating your ideas to others. Though I find it funny that most Directors of Photography I've worked with simply refer to shots as loose (wide) or tight (close).
Close Up (CU)
Never be afraid to go after a good close up for dramatic effect.
Close Up (CU)
Never be afraid to go after a good close up for dramatic effect.
Medium Close Up (MCU)
Medium Shot (MS)
Long Shot (LS)
or
Full Shot (FS)
or
Full Shot (FS)
Wide Shot (WS)
or
Long Shot (LS)
or
Long Shot (LS)
Extreme Close Up (ECU)
Two Shot
Over The Shoulder (OTS)
Think About:
These different basic shots are your first tool in telling a story. Why would you use a Long Shot instead of a Close Up for something? Why a Close Up instead of a Medium Shot? Your choices in framing will affect how the audience perceives what you are showing them even if its so subtle the effects are subconscious.
Video Example:
Example #10: This scene is a conversation where the camera is consistently closer to one the two characters. There is no sound so that you won't be distracted by what's going on in the scene and can focus on the camera work. Muting the sound is a helpful tool you can use when studying visuals in any film.
These different basic shots are your first tool in telling a story. Why would you use a Long Shot instead of a Close Up for something? Why a Close Up instead of a Medium Shot? Your choices in framing will affect how the audience perceives what you are showing them even if its so subtle the effects are subconscious.
Video Example:
Example #10: This scene is a conversation where the camera is consistently closer to one the two characters. There is no sound so that you won't be distracted by what's going on in the scene and can focus on the camera work. Muting the sound is a helpful tool you can use when studying visuals in any film.
Lenses– Telephoto, Normal, Wide Angle
Camera's Lie. Its unavoidable. The image you take rarely if ever looks like what you see with your naked eye. A large part of this distortion of reality comes down to the effects of a lens on your on image. Wide angle and telephoto lens 'distort' the image in a particular way. You need to be aware of the affect of lenses on a shot as well as the framing. Some general effects in a close up are:
Wide:
Lots of background both in view and in focus
Background distance is exaggerated
Face is rounded, enlarged and features exaggerated
Generally considered unflattering or possibly comical, it can also be used to look scary.
Lots of background both in view and in focus
Background distance is exaggerated
Face is rounded, enlarged and features exaggerated
Generally considered unflattering or possibly comical, it can also be used to look scary.
Telephoto:
Background is narrow and out of focus
Distance is compressed to objects in background
Face is flattened, generally considered flattering.
Background is narrow and out of focus
Distance is compressed to objects in background
Face is flattened, generally considered flattering.
Rules for Placing the Camera
Next is a couple of guidelines that have been discovered in creating shots in movies. Early silent films didn't have these “rules” and the result was a little funny.
180 Degree Rule:
Examples #12:
180 Degree Rule:
Examples #12:
Did it seem like the car was suddenly going the wrong way? Did one of the people in the conversation turn around? Was it confusing? Did it just seem wrong? That’s what you want to avoid with your filming. In order to keep things facing the correct direction, imagine a line running between two characters who are facing each other having a conversation. The line goes straight through the forehead of one character, right between the eyes and runs straight through the second character's forehead right between the eyes. Its this imaginary line that you don't want to cross with your camera. As long as you keep the camera within the 180 degrees on one side of the line, the characters will never appear to be facing the wrong way.
30 Degree Rule:
If keeping the same general framing, that is close up or medium shot, etc. and moving the camera for a new shot, you should move the camera at least 30 degrees from the subject to avoid looking like a jump cut. A jump cut is what its called when a break in action seems to happen in the same shot. That is there is a cut which causes the action to “jump” forward in time without cause. Generally this breaks the flow of time in a movie and can appear to the audience to be a glaring error in filming. Even better in a lot of cases, change the framing to create a different type of shot (close up, long shot, medium, etc.) that will always prevent two shots from looking too similar.
Video Example:
Example # 11: Here is a brief sequence shown 3 different times. The first versions has a jump cut. The second version doesn't break the flow of time but because it breaks the 30 degree rule it still feels like a jump cut. The third version corrects both problems.
30 Degree Rule:
If keeping the same general framing, that is close up or medium shot, etc. and moving the camera for a new shot, you should move the camera at least 30 degrees from the subject to avoid looking like a jump cut. A jump cut is what its called when a break in action seems to happen in the same shot. That is there is a cut which causes the action to “jump” forward in time without cause. Generally this breaks the flow of time in a movie and can appear to the audience to be a glaring error in filming. Even better in a lot of cases, change the framing to create a different type of shot (close up, long shot, medium, etc.) that will always prevent two shots from looking too similar.
Video Example:
Example # 11: Here is a brief sequence shown 3 different times. The first versions has a jump cut. The second version doesn't break the flow of time but because it breaks the 30 degree rule it still feels like a jump cut. The third version corrects both problems.
Staging
It is important to remember that when you create your framing, the camera isn’t the only thing that can be placed in a specific spot. Where your characters stand, where they are facing, and their relation to each other and the camera are important tools in creating your scene.
For instance, in a basic conversation both characters face each other, one in front of the other. That is the most common set up in film and in life. But not every conversation has to be done that way. You can add visual interest to a scene by having your characters sitting next to each other both facing the same direction, as on a park bench. Or perhaps one is in the foreground looking left and the other is in the background looking at the other. Perhaps neither one is looking at the other as would be two men sitting at a bar staring at their drinks.
Think about what is most important for the audience to see. If the you want the audience to pay attention to one character, both their dialogue and their reactions to the other character’s dialogue, find a way to put them in the shot at all times and have the other character(s) visible in the background.
Video Example:
Example #26: Notice how almost the entire conversation in this scene can be filmed with one shot. In fact the scene COULD be filmed with just that shot because of the staging of the actors in the scene.
Whenever your staging a conversation, always try to think of the best possible way to stage it. If that is conventionally as in two people facing each other then do that. If it would serve you better to stage it in a different way, that’s your opportunity to be creative.
The relationship between the camera and characters is also important for another reason. Some times you have to ‘cheat for the camera’ to get the shot you desire. That is you have to move your subjects from shot to shot to get the camera in where you want it. The trick is to not let the audience realize that you are cheating space. For instance say you have two characters in a scene. One is leaning up against a wall. You'd like to do an over the shoulder shot from the character leaning against the wall to the other character. But you can't. The wall is in the way. You simply move the actor away from the wall just enough to get the camera in behind him and shoot as if nothing was odd. The camera will be facing away from the wall so the audience will never see what you've cheated.
Always remember that its not ‘Where the camera is’ but how the camera and subject are in relation to each other. You can move either one of both to get the shot you desire.
Exercise:
Now all of this information is going to overwhelm you unless you make sense of it in the most important way. Go TRY it! Pick up a camera, any camera, still or video, or a motion picture camera if you have one lying around and start pointing it at things. I remember walking around with a Director's View Finder and just watching the world through it. I learned more about framing that day then in the years proceeding it. You don't need to even record the images you're pointing at, just get an idea of how to place things in the frame of a camera and pay attention to how the shots you create 'feel' to you. You will come to your own preferences on how shots should look and will be well on your way to making good choices with your camera work. If you like a shot, chances are other people will to. If you feel a shot is bad, others may agree.
For instance, in a basic conversation both characters face each other, one in front of the other. That is the most common set up in film and in life. But not every conversation has to be done that way. You can add visual interest to a scene by having your characters sitting next to each other both facing the same direction, as on a park bench. Or perhaps one is in the foreground looking left and the other is in the background looking at the other. Perhaps neither one is looking at the other as would be two men sitting at a bar staring at their drinks.
Think about what is most important for the audience to see. If the you want the audience to pay attention to one character, both their dialogue and their reactions to the other character’s dialogue, find a way to put them in the shot at all times and have the other character(s) visible in the background.
Video Example:
Example #26: Notice how almost the entire conversation in this scene can be filmed with one shot. In fact the scene COULD be filmed with just that shot because of the staging of the actors in the scene.
Whenever your staging a conversation, always try to think of the best possible way to stage it. If that is conventionally as in two people facing each other then do that. If it would serve you better to stage it in a different way, that’s your opportunity to be creative.
The relationship between the camera and characters is also important for another reason. Some times you have to ‘cheat for the camera’ to get the shot you desire. That is you have to move your subjects from shot to shot to get the camera in where you want it. The trick is to not let the audience realize that you are cheating space. For instance say you have two characters in a scene. One is leaning up against a wall. You'd like to do an over the shoulder shot from the character leaning against the wall to the other character. But you can't. The wall is in the way. You simply move the actor away from the wall just enough to get the camera in behind him and shoot as if nothing was odd. The camera will be facing away from the wall so the audience will never see what you've cheated.
Always remember that its not ‘Where the camera is’ but how the camera and subject are in relation to each other. You can move either one of both to get the shot you desire.
Exercise:
Now all of this information is going to overwhelm you unless you make sense of it in the most important way. Go TRY it! Pick up a camera, any camera, still or video, or a motion picture camera if you have one lying around and start pointing it at things. I remember walking around with a Director's View Finder and just watching the world through it. I learned more about framing that day then in the years proceeding it. You don't need to even record the images you're pointing at, just get an idea of how to place things in the frame of a camera and pay attention to how the shots you create 'feel' to you. You will come to your own preferences on how shots should look and will be well on your way to making good choices with your camera work. If you like a shot, chances are other people will to. If you feel a shot is bad, others may agree.
Camera Movement
Movement can often be used to make an image more interesting, more eye appealing. And just like everything else, it will change what your shot transmits to the audience. This can deal with pace, dramatic effect, or any of a number of other things you'd like to convey. Think about the different kinds of camera movement you can create. What might they say to the audience?
There are five basic terms for camera movement, though many people don't use them correctly:
Pan: This refers to pivoting the camera in a lateral motion (side to side)
Tilt: This refers to pivoting the camera in a vertical motion (up or down)
Truck: This refers to moving the camera toward or away from your subject.
Track: This is to move the camera in a lateral and parallel motion to the subject. Where in a pan, the camera is pivoting, here the camera is moving through space on a dolly or steadicam.
Boom: Here the camera moves up or down usually on a jib-arm or other craning device.
Video Example:
Example #21: Notice how the moving camera makes some of the opening shots in this scene more dynamic. The camera doesn't need to move to capture the actions in the frame, but the movement makes things a little more interesting and gives a sense of faster pace (which we'll talk about later in the editing section).
Consider some other things you can do with a camera movement. A movement into a person or thing draws the audience’s focus to it. Movements out reveal the surroundings to the audience. Moves around increase energy and pace and have meaning to what the person is experiencing at the moment.
For instance, imagine a truck in on an actor's face to increase the level of drama. A truck out revealing an character being left behind all on his own. A boom up of the camera looking down on characters as they look up to make them look small and helpless against what they're looking up at. These are just a few examples to get you thinking of all the things you can convey with camera movements besides simply keeping action in frame.
Its important to understand how the type of movement can convey something to the audience. For instance the way hand held photography works in a World War II film. The type of movement actually helps create the setting of the film.
Example #22: Examine the differences between these three ways of keeping an object in motion in the frame. Try to think about how you'd use the different techniques to convey different things to the audience.
Example #23: Note the differences between these three ways of moving in on a subject. Try to come up with a situation in a story where each would be the preferred way of changing the framing.
There is a different feel when the camera is moving versus having multiple shots. You can take a sequence of static shots and turn them into one longer moving shot. But this will have an affect on the scene. As a director its your decision which is the best way to shoot a particular scene. Sometimes its with movement, sometimes its not.
There are five basic terms for camera movement, though many people don't use them correctly:
Pan: This refers to pivoting the camera in a lateral motion (side to side)
Tilt: This refers to pivoting the camera in a vertical motion (up or down)
Truck: This refers to moving the camera toward or away from your subject.
Track: This is to move the camera in a lateral and parallel motion to the subject. Where in a pan, the camera is pivoting, here the camera is moving through space on a dolly or steadicam.
Boom: Here the camera moves up or down usually on a jib-arm or other craning device.
Video Example:
Example #21: Notice how the moving camera makes some of the opening shots in this scene more dynamic. The camera doesn't need to move to capture the actions in the frame, but the movement makes things a little more interesting and gives a sense of faster pace (which we'll talk about later in the editing section).
Consider some other things you can do with a camera movement. A movement into a person or thing draws the audience’s focus to it. Movements out reveal the surroundings to the audience. Moves around increase energy and pace and have meaning to what the person is experiencing at the moment.
For instance, imagine a truck in on an actor's face to increase the level of drama. A truck out revealing an character being left behind all on his own. A boom up of the camera looking down on characters as they look up to make them look small and helpless against what they're looking up at. These are just a few examples to get you thinking of all the things you can convey with camera movements besides simply keeping action in frame.
Its important to understand how the type of movement can convey something to the audience. For instance the way hand held photography works in a World War II film. The type of movement actually helps create the setting of the film.
Example #22: Examine the differences between these three ways of keeping an object in motion in the frame. Try to think about how you'd use the different techniques to convey different things to the audience.
Example #23: Note the differences between these three ways of moving in on a subject. Try to come up with a situation in a story where each would be the preferred way of changing the framing.
There is a different feel when the camera is moving versus having multiple shots. You can take a sequence of static shots and turn them into one longer moving shot. But this will have an affect on the scene. As a director its your decision which is the best way to shoot a particular scene. Sometimes its with movement, sometimes its not.
EXERCISE: Conversation
In this next exercise you're going to need a couple of actors. You will film the brief conversation below with at least six different shots from which you will cover the whole conversation. You're going to use this footage later in the editing section, but for now pay attention to how you pick/design your shots. What is the best way to film this conversation? Here are some questions you as the director should have answers to BEFORE you begin filming. Its up to you to think up meaning to the scene and then transfer it to the audience through your shots:
Has the character done something bad?
Does he regret something?
Is it that something bad has happened to the character?
Does his friend really care for him?
Is his friend listening to him?
Is his friend agreeing with him or trying to keep him from thinking such thoughts?
Character 1: I’ve been doing some thinking.
Character 2: What’s going on with you? You’ve been . . . different
Character 1: I just can’t keep living this way. Something’s going to give, and I’m afraid its going to be me.
Character 2: Come on. Lets go back. You need some rest.
Has the character done something bad?
Does he regret something?
Is it that something bad has happened to the character?
Does his friend really care for him?
Is his friend listening to him?
Is his friend agreeing with him or trying to keep him from thinking such thoughts?
Character 1: I’ve been doing some thinking.
Character 2: What’s going on with you? You’ve been . . . different
Character 1: I just can’t keep living this way. Something’s going to give, and I’m afraid its going to be me.
Character 2: Come on. Lets go back. You need some rest.