From the course: Learning Cinematography: 1 Narrative Fundamentals
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Elements of composition
From the course: Learning Cinematography: 1 Narrative Fundamentals
Elements of composition
- I'm going to divide up composition into a series of basic concepts. Aspect ratio, rule of thirds, graphic weight, the Kuleshov effect, and the 180-degree rule. It's important to understand these things because these are our toolkit in creating images that tell our story. The aspect ratio is the ratio of the frame's horizontal dimension to the vertical dimension. The frame is the most basic building block of composition. The rule of thirds means dividing the frame into three sections vertically and three sections horizontally. This helps us make decisions about where to place objects in the frame. Doing this is useful to help us analyze the shot. For instance, one of the things a cinematographer tends to avoid is called center punching. This is not to say that we don't place objects in the center of the frame. The center of the frame is a powerful place. We try not to waste that power by casually repeatedly placing everything there as a compositional default. Doing that robs our…
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