Throughout this semester I have focussed on creating an aesthetic and compelling scene. My focus now is to develop a scene that relies on the visuals to tell the narrative rather than the dialogue. To do this, I want to further explore the framing and composition of shots. I aim to discover how visuals can be used to convey meaning and create a story.

As written in an earlier post, I have learnt that framing is particularly in important in creating balance within a shot. From looking at scenes and deconstructing them it is interesting to note how the characters and objects have been framed and what meaning the framing has in terms of the story. If there is too much room in the frame above a character’s head, dead space can be created. If there is too little room above the character’s head in a wide shot the frame can look unbalanced and awkward. If the frame in a wide shot cuts off the character’s ankles or legs it can also look strange-the whole subject should be able to fit nicely within the frame. These are just a few aspects to consider when I film my scene.

I have found Gustavo Mercado’s book ‘The Filmmaker’s Eye’ particularly interesting in helping me understanding what it is exactly that makes a shot work well.

Some of the elements are :

• the placement of the character in the frame
• the use of the rule of thirds-this creates for a ‘visually harmonious composition’ (pg. 7)
• the rules of composition and breaking these rules
• Hitchcock’s rule- the size of an object in the frame and how it should connect to its significance in the narrative at that particular moment. The size of the character can be used to create visual emphasis.

I further discovered that the use of an unbalanced composition can be useful in reflecting the state of the story-it can create reflect and symbolise ‘chaos, uneasiness and tension’ (pg. 8).

The height of the camera can be used in order to ‘manipulate the audiences relationship to the subject’ (pg.8). If the camera is at a low angle- it conveys confidence, power and control. If it is a high angle-it suggests that subject might be weak, passive and lacks power.

Closed frames and open frames can be used to control how much information is being shown to the audience. A closed frame shows most information on the screen. An open frame doesn’t show all of the information within the frame (usually a close up) and draws attention to the off-screen space.

Focal points can be used to demonstrate an idea clearly. This can simply be achieved by having something in focus or not in focus, having it lit or unlit and by what is taking up most of the frame.

Reading Mercado’s book, in my research to come I would like to look at films that rely on their visuals to depict story and meaning. Scenes that aren’t dialogue having and don’t have dynamic use of shots. The first that comes to mind is a film I saw recently, Dan Gilroys’ ‘Nightcrawler’.

Mercado, G 2010, The Filmmaker’s Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition, Focal Press, Burlington.