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

[Music] films are made up of sequences sequences are made up of scenes and scenes are made up of shots [Music] in previous episodes we covered frame rates camera movement and editing techniques today we'll look at the elements within the shot that make up its composition [Music] this is episode 11 of the shot list composition [Music] we've got more episodes in this series coming soon get subscribed and enable notifications so you don't miss out at the end of the video we'll show you how to download our free ebook on composition elements now let's begin simply put

composition is the arrangement of elements in an image it is not only what you include in a frame it's the relationship between those elements that creates the overall meaning this concept began long before motion pictures when images needed to tell a complete story in a single frame consider how much storytelling can be done in one image we have characters a situation a power dynamic a sense of drama theme movement composition also relies on aspect ratio the size and shape of the image itself in fine art portraits are more naturally composed vertically while landscapes benefit some

horizontal compositions likewise in film while the basic elements of composition always apply there are different considerations between a squarish frame and a rectangular frame understanding these elements is key to understanding composition and now our first element points composition is all about directing the viewer's eye and points in an image are immensely effective in this regard focal points whether they be points of intersection or just a small dart can be used to draw an eye's attention [Music] where does your eye go in this shot from road to petition notice how the composition draws our eyes to

the focal point using points to direct attention is a popular technique in wide shots filmmakers will often use an uncluttered canvas so that naturally our eye goes to the point but points aren't relegated to whites here our eye is directed to the point of a sword points are often used in conjunction with the rule of thirds the rule states that the subject of a frame should be placed at one of the four intersections of the vertical and horizontal thirds of a shot [Music] another compositional technique that uses points is the golden triangle this is created

when you draw a diagonal line from corner to corner and then lines from the other two corners intersecting at right angles creating two balanced focal points [Music] points are a remarkably simple way to get your audience to focus on a particular area of your composition especially in tandem with our next element lines lines are the fundamental building blocks of composition vertical lines can suggest height and strength horizontal lines can suggest distance and calm diagonals can add an off-tilted energy to a frame while curved lines can make more graceful compositions you can also use leading lines

to pull the eye in a certain direction here christopher nolan uses the lines of a hallway to draw our eye directly to the subject of the frame [Music] in raging bull scorsese uses the ropes and lens flares to point directly at jake's opponent lines in composition create a sense of direction and mood and when combined they create an entirely separate element of composition shapes shapes make up our visual reality so it's no surprise that they are important in composition triangles circles squares all bring a kind of visual unity to the image a clean geometric shape

can add a tidy and satisfying feeling to a frame as if everything is in order whereas irregular or organic shapes can feel more natural or even chaotic swap it if you don't pick it up your foot move it shapes can also create frames within frames giving the viewer a smaller area of focus within an image these secondary frames can evoke anything from claustrophobia to comfort all depending on the shape where it's placed and the context of the scene shapes are used to build structures but our next elements have more to do with sensations textures and

patterns like shapes textures and patterns also help shape and inform how we read an image every object has a texture smooth patterned or somewhere in between texture is often achieved through the collaboration between cinematographers and production designers even light can add different textures to an image texture can be used to have a subject pop from the background or blend in notice how busy the texture in this composition from barry linden is here texture is used to create an ornate opulence consider the juxtaposition of textures between wally and eve and how it informs their personalities [Music]

patterns also play an important role in composition power and control harmony insanity all ideas that could be suggested with simple repetition and breaking these patterns can be just as interesting consider how the pattern is broken in this shot and what it might suggest or how the carpet designed in the shining evokes a disorienting maze texture and pattern give the audience a more tangible connection to the imagery and our next element adds dimension to the image space space is crucial in composition and it can be split into two categories positive and negative positive space is the

area given to your subject and negative space is the empty space around them the relationship creates various ideas or moons the larger the object in the frame the more importance it has from extreme wide shots that leave your subject isolated and vulnerable to extreme close-ups that empower them other than the amount of negative space the location of it also matters headroom is the amount of negative space above the subject's head usually kept to a minimum lead room or looking room is the amount of negative space in front of the subject which is usually much more

than the amount behind them but breaking these rules can be just as effective [Music] filling the frame is a technique that gives the subject most or all positive space a form of sensory overload that can create a sense of chaos the opposite can be equally effective a simplified frame can be soothing or even sad [Music] these are all considerations of the 2d space of a frame and in the next section we'll add a third dimension to our compositions depth film is a two-dimensional medium representing three-dimensional space and the best way to accomplish this illusion is

with depth we divide this space into three sections the foreground middle ground and background each of these planes can be used to layer compositions that create hierarchies of meaning and relationships shallow focus isolates the subject from the other planes if an object is in focus our eyes will prioritize it and changing focus during a shot draws our attention even further in this shot the pill is closer to the lens but we don't focus on it until the camera does deep focus referring to a large depth of field allows for multiple layers of attention as citizen

kane pioneered here all three planes are employed to visually create a hierarchy of importance and power the mother asserts dominance in the foreground the father flounders in the middle ground while little charlie plays innocently in the background depth is an illusion that turns a flat image into an entire world the next element helps keep that world in order balance no matter how you use space or depth the rule of thumb is that the frame should be balanced a subject position frame right with nothing on the left feels imbalanced the same effect can happen with a

foreground subject with nothing in the background one technique to maintain balance is the rule of odds which states that when shooting multiple subjects it's more visually pleasing for the group to be an odd number why is it when something happens it is always you three believe me professor i've been asking myself the same question for six years the golden ratio also utilizes balance and there are a few ways to use it in composition related to the fibonacci sequence it is a ratio of 1 to 1.618 otherwise known as the number five if we draw a

rectangle using the golden ratio and continue to divide it with the same proportions it creates what's called the golden spiral we can actually find the spiral in nature and it has become a common tool in composition artists like salvador dali and photographers like henry cartier besson have used the golden spiral to create a natural balance to their compositions but you don't need something this complex to bring the golden ratio into your compositions if we take the height of a film frame and draw a line using this ratio we find an ideal location to place a

subject's eyes or the horizon in this way the applications are endless balance can also mean symmetry wes anderson famously will often opt for symmetrical framing in due of the rule of thirds or the golden ratio is that my belt of course there are times when you want to make an audience uneasy with an unbalanced frame balance helps keep the image organized and stable on the other hand our next element can easily create instability angle one of the more under-utilized elements of composition is angle angle is perspective it's about what we're seeing it's about how we're

seeing it most compositions will keep the camera parallel to the ground but there are many opportunities to switch it up a high angle makes the subject seem small and less powerful a low angle does the opposite an overhead angle gives a more detached and objective perspective sometimes the moment calls for a touch angle tilted to either side along the horizontal axis like an unbalanced frame this strategy can make an audience feel on edge or give a shot a kinetic energy for a complete guide to camera angles check out episode 3 of this series linked below

any of these camera angles can accent or enhance some of the compositional techniques we've already covered including our final element color and tone the use of color in a frame can also help direct a viewer's eye consider what various color schemes bring to the composition monochromatic analogous complementary or triadic color schemes all have great influence over how we read an image color can even overrule other methods of composition in this shot from in the mood for love the background has a busy texture that normally would draw our attention but wong kawai uses the juxtaposition of

the bright green of mrs chan's dress with the red background to make her the undeniable subject of the frame check the description for a link to download our ebook on how to use color in film [Music] similar to color another important aspect of composition is tone which refers to the brightness and contrast within an image a brightly lit image has obviously different tonal qualities than a dark image blending dark and light in the same image creates a more complicated message and since our eyes are naturally drawn to the brightest parts of an image having your

subject lit surrounded by darkness helps keep our focus on them black swan using high tonal contrast keeps our focus on nina while also visualizing themes of good versus evil [Music] [Music] when composing your shots don't forget the role that color and tone play in visual storytelling for more on the relationship between light and dark check out our video on kiraskuro lighting linked below of course all of these elements of composition can be combined color can create patterns tone can create balance shapes can create depth and so on now that we covered the elements of composition

let's see how they can be used in a scene [Music] this scene from skyfall is all about mystery as you watch consider the compositional elements that guide our eyes as we gather clues alongside bond [Music] [Music] bronzer's down you need some medical evac where is it is it there hard drive's gone are you sure it's gone give me a minute they must have it get after them i'm stabilizing ronson we don't have the time i have to stop the bleeding with all of these elements present in every shot the choices of composition can feel overwhelming

but by planning ahead with a storyboard filmmakers can use each element with purpose to create the perfect frame check the link in the description for our free ebook on composition elements what are some of your favorite examples of composition and filmmaking let us know in the comments below until next time as you put together your own shot list don't forget to keep your composure what do you think that's funny [Music]