Video Composition

1
Video Composition

• Media Concepts

The Spill Resource Page
2
Video Composition

• Composition has many different, though related
  meanings. In video, composition is the
  purposeful arrangement of the components of a
  visual image.
• Composition is absolutely essential in video
  because it helps images communicate with viewers
  more quickly, efficiently, and powerfully.
• Composition does this by
• Organizing pictorial elements so that viewers can
  quickly sort them out and identify them.
• Adding emphasis to direct attention to the most
  important elements on the screen.
• Creating an illusory third dimension in a two
  dimensional picture

The Spill Resource Page
3
Organization in Composition

• Composition organizes the elements within an
  image, to help viewers decode it. Figure 5-1.
• Simplicity eliminating unnecessary objects from
  the image, so that the viewer has fewer things to
  identify.
• Order arranging objects in the image.
• Balance distributing the objects in a way that
  gives about equal visual weight to each section
  of the image. Figure 5-2.

The Spill Resource Page
4
Emphasis in Composition

• Emphasis is any technique that attracts the
  viewers attention to one part of a composition.
  Techniques include position, relationship,
  significance, and contrast.
• Position the upper left quadrant attracts the
  eye first, because that is where we automatically
  look to start reading a new page of text. Figure
  5-3.
• Relationship emphasizing an element by placing
  it in relationship to other elements in the
  composition. Figure 5-4.

The Spill Resource Page
5
Emphasis in Composition

• Significance Compositional elements that
  attract attention simply because of the
  significance to the audience. Figure 5-5.
• Emphasis through Contrast technique of
  emphasizing one element in a picture by making it
  look different from the other elements.
• Contrasting Size Figure 5-6.
• Contrasting Shape Figure 5-7.
• Contrasting Brightness Figure 5-8.
• Contrasting Color Figure 5-9.
• Contrasting Focus Figure 5-10.

The Spill Resource Page
6
Depth in Composition

• Depth-enhancing techniques play an important role
  in pictorial composition Perspective.
• Perspective a group of techniques used to
  suggest the presence of depth on a
  two-dimensional surface.
• Size the closer an object the larger it
  appears. Figure 5-11.
• Overlap One object will mask part of another if
  it is in front of it. An object that overlaps
  another is perceived to be closer. Figure 5-12.
• Convergence parallel lines seem to gradually
  come to together as they recede into the
  distance. Figure 5-13.

The Spill Resource Page
7
Depth in Composition

• Vertical Position the father away objects are,
  the higher they usually appear in the field of
  view. Figure 5-14.
• Sharpness The farther away objects are, the
  more indistinct they appear for two reasons.
  First, their fine details are smaller and harder
  to distinguish. Second, distant objects are
  softened by the amount of air between them and
  the viewer. Figure 5-15.
• Color Intensity The same atmosphere that
  softens the appearance of objects also reduces
  the intensity of their colors. Figure 5-16.

The Spill Resource Page
8
Composing Video Images

• Compositional Schemes
• Asymmetrical Balance visual elements are not
  equally opposed, but distributed less formally to
  give an overall impression of balance. Figures
  5-17, 18, and 19.
• The rule of Thirds Create compositions in which
  the important elements match lines and
  intersections on the grid. Figures 5-20, 21, and
  22.

The Spill Resource Page
9
Composition for Widescreen Video

• Widescreen Advantages works well whenever the
  image is strongly horizontal. This is usually
  the case with actions scenes and scenic
  panoramas. Figure 5-24.
• Widescreen Disadvantages Close-ups more
  difficult, difficult to display on traditional TV
  screens. Figures 5-25, 26, and 27.

The Spill Resource Page
10
Composing Widescreen Images

• Exploiting horizontals Figure 5-28 and 29.
• Using Rule of Thirds Figure 5-30.
• Composing at the frame borders Figure 5-31.
• Framing subjects Close ups and Lead Room.
  Figure 5-32 and 33

The Spill Resource Page
11
Directing the Viewers Eye

• Placing the attention of the viewers where you
  want it.
• Emphasis can be added by adjusting position,
  relationship, significance, contrasting size,
  shape, brightness, color, and/or focus. Figure
  5-35.
• Leading Lines simply point to a subject using
  one or more lines in the composition. Figure 5-36
  and 37.

The Spill Resource Page
12
Controlling the Third Dimension

• Staging Depth - Figures 5-38 and 39
• Exploiting Perspective Figures 5-40 and 41.
• Framing the image Figures 5-42, 43, and 44.
• Working on the picture plane Figures 5-45 and
  46.

The Spill Resource Page
13
Composition and Movement

• Professional-looking camera moves should be
  planned so that they both start and end with
  strong compositions.
• Panning and Tilting Figures 5-47, 48, 49, and
  50.
• The moving camera rehearse both ending and
  starting compositions, then make the move,
  adjusting camera angle and lens focal length
  setting as needed.

The Spill Resource Page