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Ultimate Guide to Film Composition & Framing — Key Elements Explained [Shot List Ep. 11] — Transcript

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0:00[Music]
0:01films are made up of sequences
0:04sequences are made up of scenes
0:06and scenes are made up of shots
0:09[Music]
0:11in previous episodes we covered frame
0:13rates
0:15camera movement
0:16and editing techniques
0:19today we'll look at the elements within
0:21the shot that make up its composition
0:23[Music]
0:28this is episode 11
0:30of the shot list
0:35composition
0:37[Music]
0:39we've got more episodes in this series
0:41coming soon
0:42get subscribed and enable notifications
0:44so you don't miss out
0:46at the end of the video we'll show you
0:48how to download our free ebook on
0:50composition elements
0:52now let's begin
0:56simply put
0:57composition is the arrangement of
0:59elements in an image
1:01it is not only what you include in a
1:03frame
1:04it's the relationship between those
1:06elements that creates the overall
1:07meaning
1:09this concept began long before motion
1:11pictures when images needed to tell a
1:13complete story in a single frame
1:16consider how much storytelling can be
1:18done in one image
1:20we have characters
1:21a situation
1:23a power dynamic
1:25a sense of drama
1:26theme
1:28movement
1:30composition also relies on aspect ratio
1:33the size and shape of the image itself
1:36in fine art portraits are more naturally
1:39composed vertically while landscapes
1:41benefit some horizontal compositions
1:45likewise in film while the basic
1:47elements of composition always apply
1:49there are different considerations
1:50between a squarish frame and a
1:52rectangular frame
1:55understanding these elements is key to
1:57understanding composition
1:59and now
2:00our first element
2:03points
2:05composition is all about directing the
2:07viewer's eye and points in an image are
2:10immensely effective in this regard
2:13focal points whether they be points of
2:15intersection or just a small dart can be
2:18used to draw an eye's attention
2:19[Music]
2:21where does your eye go in this shot from
2:23road to petition
2:25notice how the composition draws our
2:27eyes to the focal point
2:29using points to direct attention is a
2:31popular technique in wide shots
2:34filmmakers will often use an uncluttered
2:36canvas so that naturally our eye goes to
2:39the point
2:40but points aren't relegated to whites
2:43here our eye is directed to the point of
2:46a sword
2:49points are often used in conjunction
2:51with the rule of thirds
2:53the rule states that the subject of a
2:55frame should be placed at one of the
2:56four intersections of the vertical and
2:58horizontal thirds of a shot
3:02[Music]
3:04another compositional technique that
3:06uses points is the golden triangle
3:10this is created when you draw a diagonal
3:12line from corner to corner and then
3:14lines from the other two corners
3:16intersecting at right angles creating
3:18two balanced focal points
3:20[Music]
3:22points are a remarkably simple way to
3:24get your audience to focus on a
3:25particular area of your composition
3:28especially in tandem with our next
3:30element lines
3:33lines are the fundamental building
3:35blocks of composition
3:37vertical lines can suggest height and
3:39strength
3:40horizontal lines can suggest distance
3:43and calm
3:45diagonals can add an off-tilted energy
3:48to a frame
3:49while curved lines can make more
3:51graceful compositions
3:54you can also use leading lines to pull
3:56the eye in a certain direction
3:59here christopher nolan uses the lines of
4:02a hallway to draw our eye directly to
4:04the subject of the frame
4:06[Music]
4:08in raging bull scorsese uses the ropes
4:10and lens flares to point directly at
4:13jake's opponent
4:16lines in composition create a sense of
4:18direction and mood
4:20and when combined they create an
4:22entirely separate element of composition
4:25shapes
4:27shapes make up our visual reality so
4:29it's no surprise that they are important
4:31in composition
4:33triangles
4:34circles
4:36squares
4:37all bring a kind of visual unity to the
4:39image
4:41a clean geometric shape can add a tidy
4:43and satisfying feeling to a frame as if
4:45everything is in order
4:47whereas irregular or organic shapes can
4:50feel more natural
4:51or even chaotic swap it if you don't
4:54pick it
4:54up your
4:55foot move it
4:58shapes can also create frames within
5:01frames
5:02giving the viewer a smaller area of
5:04focus within an image
5:06these secondary frames can evoke
5:08anything from claustrophobia to comfort
5:11all depending on the shape
5:13where it's placed
5:14and the context of the scene
5:17shapes are used to build structures but
5:20our next elements have more to do with
5:22sensations
5:24textures and patterns
5:27like shapes textures and patterns also
5:30help shape and inform how we read an
5:32image
5:33every object has a texture
5:36smooth patterned
5:39or somewhere in between
5:42texture is often achieved through the
5:44collaboration between cinematographers
5:46and production designers
5:48even light can add different textures to
5:50an image
5:52texture can be used to have a subject
5:54pop from the background
5:56or blend in
5:58notice how busy the texture in this
6:00composition from barry linden is
6:03here texture is used to create an ornate
6:06opulence
6:08consider the juxtaposition of textures
6:10between wally and eve and how it informs
6:14their personalities
6:19[Music]
6:21patterns also play an important role in
6:24composition
6:25power and control
6:28harmony
6:30insanity
6:31all ideas that could be suggested with
6:33simple repetition
6:37and breaking these patterns can be just
6:39as interesting
6:41consider how the pattern is broken in
6:43this shot and what it might suggest
6:46or how the carpet designed in the
6:48shining evokes a disorienting maze
6:52texture and pattern give the audience a
6:55more tangible connection to the imagery
6:57and our next element adds dimension to
7:00the image
7:02space
7:04space is crucial in composition and it
7:06can be split into two categories
7:08positive and negative
7:11positive space is the area given to your
7:13subject and negative space is the empty
7:16space around them
7:18the relationship creates various ideas
7:20or moons
7:22the larger the object in the frame the
7:24more importance it has
7:27from extreme wide shots that leave your
7:29subject isolated and vulnerable
7:32to extreme close-ups that empower them
7:35other than the amount of negative space
7:38the location of it also matters
7:41headroom is the amount of negative space
7:43above the subject's head usually kept to
7:46a minimum
7:47lead room or looking room is the amount
7:50of negative space in front of the
7:52subject which is usually much more than
7:54the amount behind them
7:56but breaking these rules can be just as
7:58effective
7:58[Music]
8:01filling the frame is a technique that
8:03gives the subject most or all positive
8:06space
8:07a form of sensory overload that can
8:09create a sense of chaos
8:12the opposite can be equally effective
8:14a simplified frame can be soothing
8:17or even sad
8:19[Music]
8:20these are all considerations of the 2d
8:22space of a frame
8:24and in the next section we'll add a
8:26third dimension to our compositions
8:28depth
8:31film is a two-dimensional medium
8:32representing three-dimensional space
8:35and the best way to accomplish this
8:36illusion is with depth
8:39we divide this space into three sections
8:42the foreground
8:43middle ground
8:45and background
8:46each of these planes can be used to
8:48layer compositions that create
8:50hierarchies of meaning and
8:52relationships shallow focus isolates the
8:55subject from the other planes
8:57if an object is in focus our eyes will
9:00prioritize it
9:01and changing focus during a shot draws
9:04our attention even further
9:07in this shot the pill is closer to the
9:09lens but we don't focus on it until the
9:12camera does
9:16deep focus referring to a large depth of
9:18field allows for multiple layers of
9:21attention as citizen kane pioneered
9:26here all three planes are employed to
9:29visually create a hierarchy of
9:30importance and power
9:33the mother asserts dominance in the
9:35foreground
9:36the father flounders in the middle
9:38ground
9:38while little charlie plays innocently in
9:41the background
9:43depth is an illusion that turns a flat
9:46image into an entire world
9:49the next element helps keep that world
9:51in order
9:53balance
9:55no matter how you use space or depth the
9:58rule of thumb is that the frame should
9:59be balanced
10:01a subject position frame right with
10:03nothing on the left feels imbalanced
10:07the same effect can happen with a
10:08foreground subject with nothing in the
10:10background
10:12one technique to maintain balance is the
10:14rule of odds which states that when
10:16shooting multiple subjects
10:18it's more visually pleasing for the
10:20group to be an odd number
10:22why is it when something happens it is
10:25always you three
10:28believe me professor i've been asking
10:30myself the same question for six years
10:34the golden ratio also utilizes balance
10:36and there are a few ways to use it in
10:38composition
10:40related to the fibonacci sequence it is
10:42a ratio of 1 to 1.618
10:45otherwise known as the number five
10:48if we draw a rectangle using the golden
10:50ratio and continue to divide it with the
10:52same proportions it creates what's
10:54called the golden spiral
10:57we can actually find the spiral in
10:58nature and it has become a common tool
11:00in composition
11:02artists like salvador dali and
11:04photographers like henry cartier besson
11:06have used the golden spiral to create a
11:08natural balance to their compositions
11:11but you don't need something this
11:12complex to bring the golden ratio into
11:14your compositions
11:16if we take the height of a film frame
11:18and draw a line using this ratio we find
11:21an ideal location to place a subject's
11:23eyes
11:24or the horizon
11:26in this way the applications are endless
11:30balance can also mean symmetry
11:33wes anderson famously will often opt for
11:35symmetrical framing in due of the rule
11:38of thirds or the golden ratio
11:40is that my belt
11:44of course there are times when you want
11:46to make an audience uneasy with an
11:47unbalanced frame
11:52balance helps keep the image organized
11:54and stable
11:55on the other hand our next element can
11:57easily create instability
12:01angle
12:03one of the more under-utilized elements
12:05of composition is angle
12:07angle is perspective
12:09it's about what we're seeing
12:11it's about how we're seeing it
12:14most compositions will keep the camera
12:16parallel to the ground but there are
12:18many opportunities to switch it up
12:21a high angle makes the subject seem
12:23small and less powerful
12:26a low angle does the opposite
12:29an overhead angle gives a more detached
12:32and objective perspective
12:35sometimes the moment calls for a touch
12:37angle tilted to either side along the
12:39horizontal axis
12:41like an unbalanced frame this strategy
12:43can make an audience feel on edge
12:46or give a shot a kinetic energy
12:49for a complete guide to camera angles
12:51check out episode 3 of this series
12:53linked below
12:56any of these camera angles can accent or
12:58enhance some of the compositional
13:00techniques we've already covered
13:02including our final element
13:05color and tone
13:08the use of color in a frame can also
13:10help direct a viewer's eye
13:13consider what various color schemes
13:14bring to the composition
13:16monochromatic
13:18analogous
13:20complementary
13:22or triadic color schemes all have great
13:24influence over how we read an image
13:27color can even overrule other methods of
13:30composition
13:31in this shot from in the mood for love
13:34the background has a busy texture that
13:36normally would draw our attention but
13:38wong kawai uses the juxtaposition of the
13:40bright green of mrs chan's dress with
13:43the red background to make her the
13:45undeniable subject of the frame check
13:48the description for a link to download
13:50our ebook on how to use color in film
13:52[Music]
13:54similar to color another important
13:56aspect of composition is tone which
13:59refers to the brightness and contrast
14:01within an image
14:03a brightly lit image has obviously
14:05different tonal qualities than a dark
14:07image
14:09blending dark and light in the same
14:11image creates a more complicated message
14:14and since our eyes are naturally drawn
14:16to the brightest parts of an image
14:18having your subject lit surrounded by
14:20darkness helps keep our focus on them
14:25black swan using high tonal contrast
14:28keeps our focus on nina while also
14:31visualizing themes of good versus evil
14:36[Music]
14:46[Music]
14:47when composing your shots don't forget
14:49the role that color and tone play in
14:52visual storytelling
14:54for more on the relationship between
14:56light and dark check out our video on
14:58kiraskuro lighting linked below
15:03of course all of these elements of
15:04composition can be combined
15:07color can create patterns
15:10tone can create balance
15:12shapes can create depth
15:15and so on
15:18now that we covered the elements of
15:19composition let's see how they can be
15:21used in a scene
15:22[Music]
15:24this scene from skyfall is all about
15:26mystery
15:27as you watch consider the compositional
15:30elements that guide our eyes as we
15:32gather clues alongside bond
15:48[Music]
16:06[Music]
16:20bronzer's down
16:22you need some medical evac where is it
16:25is it there hard drive's gone
16:27are you sure
16:32it's gone give me a minute they must
16:34have it get after them
16:40i'm stabilizing ronson we don't have the
16:43time i have to stop the bleeding
17:02with all of these elements present in
17:04every shot the choices of composition
17:06can feel overwhelming
17:08but by planning ahead with a storyboard
17:10filmmakers can use each element with
17:12purpose to create the perfect frame
17:15check the link in the description for
17:17our free ebook on composition elements
17:21what are some of your favorite examples
17:23of composition and filmmaking
17:25let us know in the comments below
17:28until next time as you put together your
17:31own shot list don't forget to keep your
17:33composure
17:39what do you think that's funny
17:43[Music]

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