 Key principles of video composition  How contrast is used for emphasis  Techniques for creating depth in compositions

 Composition is the purposeful arrangement of the components of a visual image. ◦ The objects can be people, buildings, trees, etc. ◦ The objects can also be lines, shapes, brightness, or color  Composition is essential to video because it not only makes things look good, but also helps images communicate with viewers more quickly, efficiently, and powerfully Movies are life with the boring parts cut out. You can remove those boring parts by managing video time

Composition does the following:  Organizes pictorial elements so that viewers can quickly sort them out and identify them  Adds emphasis to direct attention to the most important elements on the screen.  Creates an illusion of a third dimension Composition is such a powerful communication tool that every video maker needs to master its fundamentals in order to create visual organization, emphasis, and depth.

Composition organizes the elements within an image, to help viewers decode it (decode: recognize elements, understand it’s meaning, and identify the relationship) Composition is needed to help viewers decode each tool. They are unable to organize screen images as easily as in the real world

 Composition follows the key principles of simplicity, order, and balance 1. Simplicity eliminates unnecessary objects from the image, so that the viewer has fewer things to identify. 2. Order arranges objects in the image 3. Balance distributes the objects in a way that gives equal visual “weight” to each section of the image.

Easier to decode because the number of tools has been reduced Easier to decode because they are lined up neatly Arranging the large hammer so it balances the group of smaller tools makes it stand out in the composition

 Emphasis is any technique that attracts the viewer’s attention to one part of a composition ◦ Techniques for Emphasis: Position, Relationship, Significance, and Contrast

 Position: Typically, the upper left quadrant attracts the eye first because that is where we begin reading ◦ Other cultures may differ ◦ The upper left quadrant is found to be most attractive, followed by upper right, then lower left, and lower right is least attractive Image 5-3

 Relationship: By placing an object in relationship to other elements, the eye can be lead to the center of interest Image 5-4

 Significance: Placing an object at a certain point simply to attract attention. ◦ Example: Using a celebrity. The audience’s eyes go directly to the person they recognize Image 5-5

 Contrast: Emphasizing one element in a picture by making it look different from the other elements. ◦ Example: Adjust the size, shape, brightness, color, and focus.

Contrasting Size ◦ The bigger something is, the more it calls attention to itself ◦ Image 5-6 ◦ Simple to create size: Place the object closer to the camera. ◦ Action is staged in the foreground (toward the camera), where the actors are the largest

Contrasting Shape ◦ A different shape among a group of similar shapes stands out ◦ Image 5-7

Contrasting Brightness ◦ Light elements attract the eye more than dark ◦ Image 5-8 ◦ Lighting emphasizes important elements through careful control of brightness

Contrasting Color ◦ The viewer’s eye is attracted to elements colored differently from the other hues of the overall image. ◦ Image 5-9

Contrasting Focus ◦ The clarity or sharpness of the image. Sharp, well-detailed elements attract attention away from soft, out-of-focus elements. ◦ Image 5-10 ◦ Videographers set the focus on the elements they want to emphasize  Sometimes the focus changes in the middle of a shot, to shift attention from one element to another.

Depth is accomplished by composition ◦ Perspective accomplishes depth by altering Size, Overlap, Convergence, Vertical Position, Sharpness, and Color Intensity

◦ Size: The closer object looks larger.

◦ Overlap: one object will mask part of another if it is in front of it. An object that overlaps another looks closer

◦ Convergence: parallel lines such as railroad tracks or the edges of roads seem to gradually come together as they recede into the distance.

◦ Vertical Position: Objects that are higher in the frame look farther away

◦ Sharpness: The farther away object actually are, the more indistinct they appear. Fine details are smaller and harder to distinguish, and distant objects are softened by the amount of air between them and the viewer (called atmospheric perspective)

◦ Color Intensity: The farther away objects actually are, the paler it looks. Image 5-16

 Once you understand composition, you gain control over your images. The frame will look better and will be more effective. ◦ Instinctively, you will begin to use the principles of simplicity, order, balance, emphasis, and contrast in your frames. ◦ Compositional Schemes will accompany these principles

 Asymmetrical Balance: Visual elements are distributed less formally to give an impression of balance. ◦ It is important to distribute “weight” but not always in a symmetrical way. ◦ Symmetrical balance is often static or dull

The church in the first frame is not very interesting. The church in the second frame looks smaller and is given emphasis by its contrasting brightness, color, and position

The composition is strongly asymmetrical with the archway and the bright sky leading the eye to the subject. The eye is also drawn to the door as if someone may come out, due to the focus of light on the door.

The smaller, brighter subject on the right balanced by the dark mass of the column on the left.

 The Rule of Thirds: tic-tac-toe grid that divides the frame into nine equal parts. ◦ The important elements should be aligned with the LINES of the tic-tac-toe grid. ◦ It is not necessary to match all parts of the grid.  Image 5-20

 Image 5-21

 The most powerful way to attract the eye is through movement within the frame. This is accomplished through: ◦ Emphasis ◦ Leading Lines

 Many compositions add emphasis using several techniques at once. ◦ This shows 2 compositions that lead the eye to distinctive shapes  Image 5-34

 Many compositions add emphasis using several techniques at once.  These use size, position, color, and shape  Image 5-35

 Use images as lines to point to the important subject

 Create a third dimension by controlling depth: ◦ Staging depth ◦ Exploiting perspective ◦ Framing the image ◦ Working on the picture plane

 Place subjects and camcorder to suggest depth in the frame. ◦ Image 5-38 The revised camera placement makes the left subject larger than the right one, the building windows diminish in size, and the clapboard plank lines converge.

 Place camcorder to suggest depth in the frame. The first image suggests that the road continues for some distance because it curves around out of sight. The second image places the large boulder in the left foreground and the subjects so far away that they appear tiny.

 Staging depth uses trick of perspective,

 Staging depth uses tricks of perspective

 To add extra depth to an image, it often helps to frame it with foreground elements ◦ Most common devices are tree branches and archways

 To add extra depth to an image, it often helps to frame it with foreground elements ◦ An overpass or roofs ◦ Image 5-43

 To add extra depth to an image, it often helps to frame it with foreground elements ◦ Windows ◦ Image 5-44

 Sometimes you may want your frame to avoid depth, instead it should look flat. ◦ Omit perspective tricks to accomplish this ◦ Image 5-45 ◦ Image 5-46

 Professional-looking camera moves should be planned so that they start and end with strong compositions ◦ Panning and Tilting ◦ The Moving Camera  When moving the camera, it is essential to rehearse the shot first.

 Be conscious of the principles of composition ◦ Look back in your notes while storyboarding and filming to assure you are using the principles  After training yourself to use the principles, you will soon be able to plan videos naturally and instinctively