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Composition
relates to everything within the frame. The key is once again to take
the time to notice everything, then make adjustments, then notice everything
again.
Levelling
shots
Make
sure your shot looks level, that horizons appear natural and that uprights
are upright. The best way is to use the level on the tripod, and then
adjust from there if you need to. When shooting handheld choose something
in the background which is level or vertical and keep checking on it.
Positioning
the subject
Basically,
your main point of interest should be off-centre. The Rule of Thirds explains
this in more detail. See examples and description:
Kodak
Guidelines for Better Photographic Composition
When framing your
shot consider the image as divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically.
The lines cross at places that make good points for the focus of interest.
From the same rule
comes the wisdom that you should place the horizon either high or low
in the frame, rarely in the middle. The same is true of strong vertical
lines, which always seem to ‘make more sense’ if placed off
centre.
Leading
Room
You
should always consider the space around the subject in view of the direction
they are looking or the direction in which they are moving. Generally,
you should leave extra screen space in front of the subject’s eyes,
and leave strategic space in the frame for moving subjects to move into.
This is called leading room.
Headroom
This
refers to the space between the top of the subject’s head and the
top of the frame. Too much, or too little headroom and the framing of
the shot will look uncomfortable. Most MS and closer shots will need only
the minimum space above the head.
Mergers
One
example of a merger would be having a tree growing out of your interviewer’s
head. Notice it. Another type, border mergers cut off people or objects
in a way which draws attention to the edge of the frame. As a rule you
should not cut off people at the joints (eg not at the knee, cut through
the thigh or the shin instead, hehehe).
Lighting
Check
that your subject looks correctly lit in relation to the rest of the scene
and that the exposure will give you the results that you need. Anticipate
changes in the lighting conditions, keep an eye on the clouds.
Background
Notice
the background. Is it suitable? Will you see enough detail? Will it distract
from the subject? Where are the strong lines? Will it contrast with the
subject?
Reduce
distracting detail
Move
the camera, or zoom in to get distractions out of the frame. Alternatively
lift, implore or shoo all distractions out of frame.
Space
for Transitions
We
wont go into detail about transitions at this stage, but you should bear
in mind that using fades and dissolves at the edit stage requires the
camera operator to have left about 5 seconds at the beginning and end
of each shot. If you don’t leave the space on your camera tape editing
can become a nightmare. Really good camera work provides the editor with
the perfect cue for editing, but we’ll skip that bit for now as well.
Representing
3 Dimensions
Try to give the impression
of depth in your picture to lessen the effect of 2 dimensionality. A landscape
shot looks better if there is something in the foreground. A figure in
the foreground looks better balanced with some background. Diagonals within
your composition are dynamic, giving a sense of movement. Use them to
lead the viewers eye to your main subject.
Getting
more creative with it
Its
fine to be creative with your camerawork, but make sure you get a high
enough proportion of shots which ‘work’ in an easily understood
way. Be sure that you will return home with a result. Then be more adventurous
with your complex camerawork, but until you have what you need, keep it
simple.
Look for interesting
shots all the time, check out the location thoroughly considering the
lighting, the background, logistical problems, movements and everything
else. Communicate with the rest of your team to get the best results.
Watch some different
types of TV and notice the shot language used for different programmes.
What makes a more dramatic shot? What can the angle of the shot tell you
about the character? Why did they choose that angle for the shot?
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