The 9 Rules of Composition in Photography and Cinematography
In this video, I discuss and give examples of the 9 rules of composition for photography and cinematography. These rules are outlines for how to frame up your shots in a way that creates balance, depth, and draws the eye across the image to the focal point or the intended subject.
This video is an excerpt from chapter 2 of my book, The Cinematographer’s Handbook, available on Amazon as a paperback or digital copy here: The Cinematographer's Handbook: Grant, Brendan: 9798655537460: Amazon.com: Books
The 9 rules that I break down are as follows:
The Rule of Thirds
The Golden Ratio
Quadrants
Far Side Rule
Short Side Rule
Center Frame Rule
Full Frame Rule
Patterns
Leading Lines
It’s extremely important as a cinematographer and director to understand these rules if you want to be a master of your craft to properly command the attention of your audience and create a sense of balance (or imbalance) in the frame. It’s all about having expert-level creative control over every aspect of the image. If you’re only ever using the basics like the center frame and rule of thirds, you’re missing out on your full potential as a filmmaker and the full potential of your video productions.