Shot Composition in Film

This week, I will be explaining shot composition and how they can make a scene look visually more interesting than others.

Composition is the placement of objects in the frame. The frame is what you see, what you are recording in the video monitor.

Some compositions are badly arranged and look unappealing.

While others are well-balanced and look appealing.

The key to obtaining a well-framed shot can be narrowed down to three things:

1. Headroom and/or Leadroom

Headroom is the space above a person's head that allows the top to not be cut off by the frame and make the person look weird.

Leadroom is the space you leave in front of the direction in which the character is looking or moving. The more leadroom the easier for camera operators to follow action.

2. Rule of Thirds

A way of framing your shot where you divide your shot into thirds and use the intersections in a grid to place interesting elements for a balanced picture. It helps you create a dynamic picture without placing your subject in the middle.

Framing a character's eyes in the upper line is more pleasing.

3. Depth of Field

Deep space composition. Important information is placed in the areas of the frame.

a. Foreground

b. Middleground

c. Background

These are some techniques to use to make the framing of your shot look more appealing and interesting. But there are many more out there to discover.