To compose a shot, study what you are going to shoot before setting up the camera. If you are using actors, place them on the set or use other people to stand in for them. If you have no control of the scene, study what you have. Move around and notice how the objects in the shot change in relation to each other—how they move closer or farther away, or get larger and smaller. Ask yourself how can you best relate the story visually. Here are a few pointers for composing a shot: Select a subjectA shot should have only one subject. If a shot has more than one subject, you can break it up into two or more shots. For example, if a scene has two people conversing, you can shoot the entire scene from three different angles: one shot of both people, a second shot with the one person as the primary subject, and a third with the other person as the primary subject. Find a frame for the subjectIf you have control of your subjects, place them at their first positions. Then look for an angle where the subjects and all the other objects in the shot can be contained comfortably in the frame and each is angled the way you want. If you are using a wide-angle shot, look for objects that you can place in the foreground to add a natural frame. Find a balanced compositionNotice how all the objects in your shot are balanced. Look at the shapes, colors, and areas of light and dark, and imagine them as simple shapes and lines. Do the shapes create a balanced, well-composed picture that draws attention to the subject, or does it draw the eye away from the subject? Keep moving until you find a balanced shot.  Figure 2: Shapes, lines, and light intensity draw your eye into the image. Bring the camera in and check the shotUse the zoom and focus and find the best framing for your subject. SimplifyIf you know what your primary subject is, you can simplify the composition. Strengthen the focus on the subject by selecting uncomplicated backgrounds. Get closer to the subject, if necessary, to cut out distractions. Change the depth of fieldMove the camera away from the subject and zoom in to reduce the depth of field. When you do that, you can center attention more on your subject by throwing distracting background and foreground objects out of focus. Use the rule of thirdsThe rule of thirds is a guideline used by photographers to determine positioning for a subject. Imagine the frame divided into thirds, with equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines dividing the frame. The four points where the lines intersect are where you can position your subject to conform with the rule of thirds and create a good composition. Putting the subject in the center of the frame is generally considered to be bad composition.  Figure 3: A frame divided using the rule of thirds. Lead the eyes and movement of your subjectsIf a person is walking across the frame from left to right, the viewer will feel more comfortable if the person is framed on the left so there is space in front. If a person is standing looking off the left side of the frame (frame left), it works better to place him on the right side of the frame.  Figure 4a: A subject on the left side of the frame has eye room to the right.  Figure 4b: Subject placement and eye room from right to left. Use your lens and camera angle to emphasize a feelingUse a long lens, or zoom in and move the camera back, to create a softer, intimate feel to a shot. If you shoot a subject from a low angle you make it seem more powerful. Shooting from above tends to diminish a subject. Ask yourself what camera angle will best convey the emotion you're aiming for.  Figure 5: Using a long lens to create a more intimate feel. Adjust lightingAfter lining up a shot, if you notice that the light seems unnatural or uneven, add or subtract light. Move to next positionIf there will be movement in a shot, have the actors go to their next positions. In this new position, does the shot composition still work? If not, think about how you can move the camera or reposition the actors to recompose the shot. You may even need to re-block the shot to make all of the elements work. Ideally, the camera and everything in the shot should move fluidly and seamlessly from one position to the next. Shooting on the FlyIf you are shooting real life and have no control over the subject, you need to do all this on the fly. You have to size up a shot, set the camera, and start rolling, often before you have a completely balanced shot. Usually, your composition will be compromised in some way; you may not be able to get the subject's facial expression or the lighting exactly the way you want it. If you have no control of your subject and need perfectly composed shots, plan on spending more time for the shoot and bringing along plenty of video tape. Rather than try to fight a situation that is out of your control, you can try using the unplanned look as a style. Directors often work to make a shot look unplanned by unbalancing the frame or adding distractions. While these techniques may not be appropriate in every case, they can add a touch of reality that keeps an audience engaged. There is no law that says a shot has to be perfectly composed to work. It often works to your advantage to intentionally break the rules to give your movie the feeling you want to express. Composition is one part of the process. The overall goal of a shot is to help tell your story.
| 
