THE GUIDE
part 14: framing
Create an Interesting and Compelling Picture.
How can you frame your subject that will maximize natural and artificial light and utilize a dynamic background? Maybe the mural in the parish center hallway would be a great background for that shot? Go shoot it and see! Ask Yourself: How can I paint a beautiful picture in this frame that will feed the story I am trying to tell?
Background
Staying away from flat and drab walls or dead spaces will help you find lively spaces.
Camera Placement
Think about the eye level of your interviewee to avoid them looking down or up with the camera creating an awkward presentation of your subject.
Look, Lead, & Head
Look room is the space that you leave in front of someone's face on the screen. Lead room is the space in front of a moving object so audience can see it has somewhere to go. Head room is the amount of space between the top of someone's head and the top of the frame.
The Rule of Thirds
Where do you look first in this image? The Rule of Thirds would suggests that by splitting your screen into thirds (horizontally and vertically), you create a map of intersections that can guide your viewer where to look. Do you focus on what's on the woman's head? That was intentional.
The most obvious effect of applying this rule is that the picture does not fall into the common trap of having the whole scene centered on the subject. By placing the subject (in this case, the stone structure) on one of these three intersections; tension, energy, and interest are created in the frame.
Want to activate the grid on your cell phone to use the rule?
Other Places to Use the Rule...
Interviews
Thirds are great for setting up interviews. That Indy Mogul video has great remarks on using the Rule of Thirds for an interview. Check it out here.
Worship
Use these same guides when you want to frame musicians, preachers, and lectors. Avoid the “bulls eye” approach: placing the subject in the middle of the frame.
Church Building
When shooting an establishing shot of your church or other buildings. The Rule will help you frame the highlights of the architecture.
Remember: the Rule of Thirds is a guide, not a law. It can help you decide where to place your subject in the frame, which will deter you from placing your interviewee in the center of the shot. It can help you frame the background, by coordinating the horizontal lines of the grid with those of the surrounding environment.