During NAB in Las Vegas last week, I had the opportunity to meet with many of the filmmakers and readers of this blog, many of whom were looking for advice on cinematography, directing, and more. One of the questions I get asked that bothers me is: “If you could make one suggestion about composition, what would you say?”
I think this is a great question because budding cinematographers aren’t always very focused on framing, especially now, as much as they are on gear, dynamic range, resolution, and other technical aspects of their craft. Framing is one of the often overlooked or underexplored elements of film language, which is a real shame considering it’s one of the most powerful tools we have when it comes to visually communicating with our audience.
So my advice for frame art is:
Focus on what’s outside the frame, not what’s inside it.
While this may sound counterintuitive at first, the same concept can indeed be said for most aspects of the ship. Movies are about being selective. It is the purposeful presentation of an image, a world, a character, or a scene to an audience in order to evoke a specific emotion. To do this well, you need to use the right creative techniques to show your audience what you want them to see, while hiding from them content that shouldn’t be part of their experience.
From a practical perspective, imagine you are filming a scene where a character is supposed to feel isolated, but he is standing in a crowded place. If you use a wide shot to show the entire scene—the environment, passing cars, people walking by, etc., it can be difficult to fully create a sense of isolation for your protagonist. But on the other hand, if you use extreme close-ups on your characters, the background disappears (metaphorically) and the visual story suddenly becomes all about them. Audiences will still notice the characters’ geographical locations (even without wide shots), but more importantly, they will also understand their emotional positions.
An alternative solution to the above example might be to use a wide shot instead of a close-up, but also use negative space (perhaps in the form of a lot of headroom) to find another way to isolate the character.
Both of the above scenes are very simple examples, but the same basic principles apply to any scene you shoot, no matter how complex it is. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and certain genres, especially action films, can sometimes benefit from having more in the frame to create a sense of frenetic energy… but more often than not – Less is more.
The fact that so many filmmakers go crazy with shallow depth of field illustrates the same point. Shallow depth of field can be used as a quick and dirty way to draw attention to a subject and limit the visual scope of a shot, even if the lighting, framing, and overall composition are not accurate. As a result, many filmmakers end up using shallow depth of field as a crutch.
There is certainly nothing wrong with shallow depth of field as a creative tool, but it should never be used as a way to get around implementing other creative techniques that might tell a story more effectively.
The good news is that it’s easy to improve your composition skills—all it takes is a little attention to detail. By simply prioritizing your framework and really focusing on what is and is not included in the framework, your results will inevitably improve. The key is to stop and think every time you’re ready to break a record, and ask yourself what your footage will tell your audience.
In future articles, I’ll outline some specific framing techniques that can help you break away from the standard “rule of thirds” that many of us use without thinking. But for now, shoot as much as you can, prioritize composition, and then shoot some more!
