Media Journal What are some components that you think

make a good shot?

CompositionThe manner in which lines, objects, and tones are arranged in a picture.

Composition If you do not organize your shots/frames,

the audience may: Look at the wrong elements of the shot. Derive a different meaning from the shot. Become bored because of bad looking shots.

Composing good shots: Keeps the viewer’s attention. Provides a sense of continuity of thought.

Rule of Thirds A standard for achieving balance in a

frame. The rule states: The camera operator

should mentally divide the picture frame into thirds. The picture elements are then placed along the lines with centers of interest being place at one of the four points where the lines cross.

Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds This rule has been around for centuries. Follow this rule so that the subject isn’t

always centered in a frame. Boring! Sometimes professionals will not follow the

rule. This takes effort and thought and is not done randomly.

Rule of Thirds

Balance When subjects are arranged in such a

manner as to provide a pleasing looking shot.

Balance in a shot is affected by: The size of the object in the shot. The colors and the amount of lightness or

darkness of the colors. The position of the objects within the shot.

Balanced Shots

Size If you have a large object on one side of the shot

and nothing on the other side, the shot is not balanced.

The viewer can feel uneasy because a large object gives too much visual weigh to that one side. To correct this, place a smaller object to the other side of

the picture. Remember that the real size of the object is not the major

concern. What matters is how large the objects look in the frame.

Unbalanced Shots

Color Two Types of Colors:

Warm: Red, orange, yellow, brown Cold: Blue, green

Warm Colors: Attract attention. The viewer’s eye will automatically be

drawn to these colors. White has the same effect. This can be used to your advantage.

Bright Areas: Should be areas in which you want the viewer to look.

They have more compositional weight and must be balanced out with a larger mass or another bright area.

Color

Framing To frame a scene is to choose exactly what

you want within the television screen. You must decide what is to be in-frame and what is to be left-out of the shot or out-of-frame.

Common Sense Framing Framing should suit the purpose of the

scene. Only include items that have a relationship to the ideas presented. Consideration must be given to the amount and

type of gestures that the subject is using. If you frame too close, their arms, hands or their head might be outside the frame.

Framing People The general rule is to follow is that the top and

bottom of the frame should never cut people at any body joint. This will allow people to appear more natural and attractive. Should not cut at:

Ankle Knee Waist Elbow Neck Mouth

Headroom Too little headroom makes the frame top

heavy. Too much headroom makes the frame bottom heavy. Rule: Place the eyes of the subject one third of

the way down from the top of the picture. This applies to full length as well as close up shots of individuals.

Headroom

Frame within a Frame Creating a frame of natural or man made objects around the

subject which is already in a frame- the frame of the TV set. The purpose of this type of framing is to direct the viewers

eye toward the subject. Can also be used to hide unwanted objects in a scene.

Can use: Trees Shrubs Branches Archways Doorways Windows

Frame within a Frame

Leading Lines Can be used to direct the viewer’s eye to

the center of attention. Can be natural or man made objects.

Ex. Mountain range, baseboard, highway.

Leading Lines

Backgrounds When a background becomes part of the

foreground (or subject) of the scene, a very distracting picture can arise. A common background distraction is when

objects grow out of people’s heads. (Trees, doorways, poles, street signs, light posts)

Backgrounds Another distraction is when the subject blends in

with the background or complicated patterns make it very busy and distracting. To correct: move the subject, camera, or both. Move the camera far enough away from the subject so

that the telephoto part of the lens has to be use. This will create a very shallow depth of field, thus placing the background out of focus while keeping the subject in sharp focus.

Distracting Backgrounds

People Spacing When filming a conversation between two

people, TV framing requires them to be closer than normal conversational distance. Normal is 3-4 feet. TV distance should be about one foot. This will

eliminate distractions.

Level of Action Be at the level of the action. Ex. Children

and animals (be lower)

Noseroom The space allotted in front of a subject in

motion in the direction of their travel. Ex. running, driving, reaching for something Always move the camera slightly ahead of the

action.

Noseroom