Chapter 6 Summary: Composition

There are two ways to view a film: passively and actively. By being an active viewer, you can pick up on the subtleties of composition as a storytelling device. Decisions of line, form, depth, and texture affect the way the picture is interpreted by the audience. Formal aspects of design such as symmetry, balance, randomness as well as qualities such value, contrast and texture play a role in enhancing motion picture storytelling. Unlike normal sight, which can be endlessly scanned in each direction, the artifice of the frame decides what we are shown and what is left out. This manipulation of point of view is what shapes the random happenings into a story. Effective use of positive and negative space, creation of depth in the frame which implies space beyond the screen, and changes in scale, can all combine to manipulate the image in useful ways. Focal length and depth of field (the distance from the camera where all objects appear to be in focus) contribute to how an audience interprets a space: a telephoto-ed image makes the foreground and background appear closer together than they are, a wide angle lens will exaggerate relative distances, and images with fuzzy backgrounds divert the audiences attention to the objects in sharp focus. Balanced frames suggest equal importance of items in a frame, while imbalance draws attention to a particular object. A repetitive series will exaggerate the differences in an object. Randomness in the frame may imply a world without order. Horizontal lines are reflections of the horizon, and seem to expand the frame. Vertical lines imply a defiance of gravity. Diagonal lines move the eye out of the frame, and may cause us to wonder "what's out there that we cannot see." Simple geometric shapes also give a structural element, the most important being the horizontally oriented rectangle that is the frame itself. Values express other ideas. Contrast sets a tone and guides our eyes and our understanding of implied 3D. The textures of plastered walls or a puddle, for example give information for the story. Color is another important element of composition.