You've written a suspenseful horror film.
Now, it's time to decide
how to turn your scary words
into a scary scene.
Editing and sound design
are often employed
to create effective suspense.
But shot composition
can help draw the audience in
and intensify the moment.
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Simply put.
Shot composition is deciding
what objects place in front of the camera
and how to arrange them.
And there is one simple rule
every filmmaker should remember
when composing your frames.
Size Matters.
The idea of size
applies to any genre.
But it is particularly effective
when creating a building suspense.
You can give objects power and meaning
by framing them large.
Or you can strip them of that same power
by minimizing them in the image.
Every shot in your film
is an opportunity to use tools,
like shot composition,
to give depth and meaning to your ideas,
characters and story.
We're going to use StudioBinder`s production software
to build the scene from "The Ring."
Before we jump into our shot list example,
make sure to subscribe below
and click the bell icon to stay in the loop.
Let's jump in.
Let's examine a scene from "The Ring"
and discuss how shot composition
can ramp up the tension.
"- Have you heard about this videotape
that kills you when you watch it?
- What kind of tape?
- A tape. A regular tape.
And as soon as it's over
your phone rings.
You will die in 7 days.
- I've watched it.
- Oh my God, Kitty are you okay?"
When the phone rings
the stage is set for our first white-knuckle sequence
of the movie.
Notice the size of the phone
versus Katie's body in the background.
The size of the object within the frame
is directly related to how important that object is.
Katie is at the mercy
of whatever may be on the other end of the phone,
and this idea is echoed in the composition.
"This is so lame.
Embry residence."
Televisions and telephones
aren't just innocuous electronics.
"Bye, Mom."
They are deadly.
The size of the television
is somehow larger than her,
and the threat grows nearer.
But let's also look at the opposite effect.
When you want your character to be powerless and vulnerable.
"Becca, can you hear me?"
In this shot,
Katie is overwhelmed by the empty space around her
and isolated.
The high angle of this shot
further diminishes Katie and her control.
She is defenseless.
In this next shot,
Katie size in the frame is the smallest, yet.
A mysterious puddle forming outside her door
looms large in the foreground.
Katie once again
is presented smaller than the threat.
Use StudioBinder when you shot list and storyboard
when you want your character to be powerless.
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Just before Katie opens the door,
we pause on the doorknob.
A very big doorknob.
For Katie,
this is life or death.
This sequence is important
to hooking the audience into the rest of the story.
It is powerful,
all because of the shot composition.
Let's review.
Size can be a very useful tool
when designing your shots in a suspense sequence.
Legitimize your threat
with a large physical representation in the frame.
Diminish your protagonist
when they are most vulnerable.
What are your favorite suspenseful moments?
How did the director use shot composition
to amplify the tension?
Tell us in the comments.
Does your project open with a terrifying set piece?
If so, you'll want to flesh it out
when you shot list and storyboard.
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