COMPOSITION RULES OF FILM MAKING

Films, videos and TV all work because they use ‘language’ of their own that is visually stimulating. Khuleshov claims that 70% of the information we receive through media pieces is through imagery. As a film maker, we must understand and use the ‘language’ to create successful pieces of work. All of the composition rules are what we call the grammar and vocabulary which makes up the message within the language. The following are some of the key rules that I will try to use on my pop video;

1. Different Type of Shot Size
Extreme Close-Ups, Close-Ups, Mid-Shots, Long-Shot, Extreme Long-Shot and Wide-Shots are some shot types that are used to create atmospheric moods or specific messages. Close-Ups would be used when wanting to promote the specific product/character. It allows the audience to view the subject multiple times and helps to repeat the image in their minds for a memorable scene. On the other hand, Long-shots are used to establish the scene and gather as much information, in a short period of time. Long-shots are traditionally use in scenes of fighting. It gives the audience a chance to make decision of each character and separate the villains from the heroes. The Wild Bunch uses many long-shots to establish the progress of the fight, as well as using hand held cameras in which they can create a more intimate motion to the scene.

2. Camera Position and Angle
The positioning of the camera can suggest many a thing when interviewing of shooting a scene; Using a flat on shot creates a very boring participant, where as angling the camera by 35 degrees creates an exact depth of field. It can create good shadows and emphasise the participant’s features in a good light. Filming at a higher angle allows the audience to believe that the subject is a humble, mellow and down-to-earth character. Oppositely, at a low angle the character can look arrogant and powerful.

3. Lighting
Lighting is an essential element of filming, whether using natural light or tungsten lighting. Redheads and Blonde lights are used to create different atmospheres, depending on what is being filmed. When interviewing, the subject is normally flooded by a spot light. 32 degrees from there a fill light is used to create shadows and directly behind the subject, back lighting is used to create depth of field.

4. Rule of Thirds
Using the rule of thirds can subvert of follow a storyline. Typically, the first two hot spots would be used for the most popular character e.g Mike in The Wild Bunch. He is know automatically seen as the hero in the film and the the Mexican army are placed in the fourth hot spot. This is normally for the mysterious, rebellious characters of the film.

5. Leading to the eye
Within film making, almost one of most essential elements is to encourage the viewer to follow the main character or subject. This can be done in two ways; rule of thirds or converging lines.
The rule of thirds uses hot spots to entice the viewer to look at specific areas of the shot, before any other spot. Automatically, the eye is drawn to the top left of the shot, so this leads the eye to a certain point of the scene. The director, more often than not would use converging lines. Within the set, props and materials could be used to create converging lines, in which, again the viewer would follow. For example, the use of a pier can be seen as a technique of converging lines, where the viewers will follow it up to the end where the water begins. The use of converging lines does sometimes present messages of the end, the beginning of an intimating, bold statement about the character or the overall narrative.

6. Colours
Colours within films are always used to create moods, biases or opinions. The Wild Bunch opens with seedy, grainy colours of brown but flashes to black. Black is seen as a rebellious, bad colour that conveys The Wild Bunch as the ‘villains’ in the film. The use of dusty, nearly sepia colour effect emphasises the dusty, ‘cowboy’ stereotype of ‘cops and robbers.’

7. Editing Styles
The Wild Bunch uses balletic editing within the scenes to create a sense of continuity and a flowing storyline. It intends to cut each scene and start the scene in the same place that it left off. The eye can follow each cut from where they last saw it. Using a oval shape of balletic editing gives the viewer a chance to follow the storyline, easily. Creating a smooth watch.