Cinematic Composition

Be sure to think about composition before pressing the Record button on your camera. Earlier in this chapter you learned common framing techniques. But in videography, movement influences the composition.

The framing you choose will often need to vary throughout the shot. If the subject is moving, you’ll need to adjust your framing. In the following sections I offer four useful rules that I find essential when designing compelling shots for a video or film project.

Eye Line

The eye line is basically where your subject is looking in the frame (Figure 5.12). For interviews, your subject’s eye line may vary a bit. Normal framing is to have your subject look slightly off camera (towards an interviewer who traditionally stands next to the camera). Having a subject look directly into the camera is usually reserved for situations like on-camera spokespeople or newscasters.