Hi welcome to Filmmaker IQ, I’m John Hess and we’re going to be looking at the basic
concepts behind composition when considering your aspect ratio.
Odds are if you are watching this video, you’re most likely be working in some form of digital
video. And as we learned in the History lesson on Aspect Ratio, almost all digital video
products use the 16x9 aspect ratio.
But 16x9 isn’t really that cinematic, especially now that HD is the norm. Maybe you want to
get that Cinemascope 2.35 look.
But when you’re on set, your viewfinder is going to give you 16x9.
How can we get an approximation of what your final aspect ratio will look like?
This is where an external monitor can be very helpful.
Advanced models like this beautiful ikan MD7 have built in software presets
to show you where the crop will be for 4:3, 16x9, 1.85 and 2.35 as well as a
custom setting which allows you to create any aspect ratio that you want.
If you don’t have a monitor with advanced capabilities you can always use some gaffers
tape and cover over your monitor to create your desired aspect ratio.
You can use a ruler or do it by feel.
This isn't necessarily as precise and be careful not to ruin your screen with the adhesive of the tape.
Once you have the footage in the post production stage you can use letterbox masks create the final desired aspect ratio
To figure out the size of the letterboxes we need to use a little bit of basic math.
Lets say you want a 2.35 aspect ratio from a 1920x1080 frame. You simply divide 1920 by 2.35 which gives
you 817. So your final image is going to be 1920 wide by 817 pixels high. Subtract 817 from 1080 and
you’ll get 263 -divide by 2 and you get 131.5. So you should have a letter box of 131 pixel
top and we'll add that extra pixel to the bottom 132 pixe bar at the bottom.
Are we going to break out the rulers to measure to make sure you have exactly 2.35... or check
that you used 2.35 and not 2.39? No C'mon.
If you heading to a film out check with your vendor make sure you're all clean
but if your going to the web or a bluray or DVD...
Don’t get hung up on the minutia.
To make it a little easier we’ll provide a series of common frame masks in this lesson link below for you to download and apply
To your footage if you want.
Now that we visualized our final aspect ratio we want to use let’s talk about how to actually compose a subject matter in that frame.
Now we could use a center frame composition.
And many directors from Stanley Kubrick to Wes Anderson have built strong visual styles
With a center frame composition.
But the center composition can be a bit too powerful
And you may want to create a shot that is not so strong by placing the subject off center.
To figure out how far off center lets look at a subject that has fascinated humankind since the Ancient Greeks - the Golden Ratio.
First recorded by the Greek Mathematician Euclid, the golden ratio is a ratio between
two lengths where the ratio of the sum of the two lengths to the part is the same as the ratio of between the two the parts
This self repeating ratio shows up over and over again in geometry and nature and is considered
by the ancients to not only be aesthetically pleasing but spiritually important.
So how do we apply the golden ratio to our image?
Often a shape called the Fibonacci Spiral is overlaid on the image.
Since the Golden ratio is 1.618 which doesn't match up with any aspect ratio
We can let the top and bottom of that spiral fall off the screen.
by placing our subject on those lines we can create a traditionally pleasing shot.
But let's get real here, no one is expecting you to get out a compass and draw spirals on your monitor.
Though you can use the MD7’s custom markers to set
lines where the golden ratio line would be.
A much more practical approach is the rule of thirds. Imagine the screen divided up into
three parts both horizontally and vertically. Now position your subject on the third lines.
And then just adjust the shot into something that you find appealing.
This will actually get you pretty close to the Golden Ratio would be.
Again, no one is going to get out a ruler and measure your composition to see if you’re
exactly on the golden ratio or the third line - so adjust the shot to what you like to see
- we’re making movies for human beings to watch, not robots!
Speaking of human beings, let’s talk briefly about how to frame up a face. If you look
at a human head - all the emotional expressions come from just right above the eyebrow to
right above the chin. I’ve never known an actor who does his best work using the top
of his head. Just doesn't happen.
So when you frame a shot, keep in mind this emotive rectangle of the face and place that
inside you thirds as much as possible.
And as you get closer for a close up shot
Let the top of the head fall out of frame.
After all, it's not nearly as interesting as what's going on between the eyebrows and the chin.
Martin Scorsese once famously asked, “How do you frame a close up with widescreen?”
This was a common complain when widescreen first became popular.
The beauties of 4x3 Acadmey Ratio is how it beautifully frames a human face. 16x9 and
1.85 are still relatively conducive to closeups but once you start getting into the 2.35 and
above range, there’s a lot of wasted screen real estate in a full face closeup. Sometimes
you’ll want that emptiness.
But sometimes you may want to use a technique of crafting your own specialized spaces
inside your frame. The traditional word for this is Mise en Scene: literally placing on stage.
By carefully composing your shot with a mix of
foreground and background objects you can create really interesting cinematic compositions.
The most basic example is in shooting a face to face two person over the shoulder dialogue scene. Here we used the
back of an actor’s head to reduce the size of the space we’re using to frame
our actor speaking.
Even though we're shooting with a 2.35 aspect ratio, the area of interest is significantly smaller.
because we filled up the space with the other actor's head.
This technique of including unwanted elements in a shot is sometimes called "dirtying up the frame"
You can also use architectural elements to do the same thing. using walls to create natural
boarders in the frame. In this shot, the pillar is a foreground element.
In this reverse shot, the pillar is still serving the same purpose cutting down our frame but now it's in the background.
Now we're using the front door window and pillar to create this box inside our widescreen 2.35 aspect ratio.
Let's demo this technique using doors in a "Godfather" inspired sequence.
Pay special attention to the walls and shoulder s in the upcoming shots.
This mise en scene approach to composition is really made possible by the widescreen aspect ratio
Orson Welles started this trend in Citizen Kane with his unique blocking
But it became much easier for filmmakers when they had a wider canvas to work with.
Generally speaking the wider your screen the more you should incorporate mise-en-scnene in your composition and less on montage or cutting
or don't do that. Do the opposite - it's up to you.
Just as with every choice in filmmaking, the choice of which aspect ratio you use and how you compose your shot
all demand compromise. Be aware of your options. Experiment
Learn how these things affect your storytelling and then make a choice.
Make something great.
I’m John Hess, I’ll see you at Filmmaker IQ.com.