Picture Composition, Second Edition

Picture Composition for Film and Television......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 14
Learning the ropes......Page 16
A moving photograph......Page 17
Continuity cinema......Page 18
The creation of ‘invisible’ technique......Page 19
Standard camerwork conventions......Page 20
Mechanical reproduction......Page 23
Framing a shot......Page 24
Composition......Page 25
Intuition......Page 27
Why composition is important......Page 28
Control of composition......Page 29
Changing fashions......Page 30
Summary......Page 31
Jump cuts......Page 32
It’s magic......Page 33
The film moment is always now......Page 35
Storytelling......Page 37
Definition of alternative conventions......Page 38
Conventions......Page 39
Summary......Page 40
Introduction......Page 41
The eye and a lens......Page 42
Size constancy......Page 43
Characteristics of perception......Page 45
Summary......Page 50
Depth indicators and their relationship to the lens......Page 51
Depth-of-field......Page 53
Zoom......Page 54
Focus......Page 55
The structural skeleton of a shot......Page 56
Horizon line and camera height as a compositional device......Page 58
Controlling space with choice of lens angle/camera distance......Page 62
The internal space of a shot......Page 64
Production style and lens angle......Page 65
Accentuating depth......Page 67
Summary......Page 68
Introduction......Page 69
Movement......Page 70
Sound......Page 71
Controlling composition......Page 72
Design techniques......Page 74
Grouping and organization......Page 75
Balance......Page 77
Figure and ground......Page 81
Shape......Page 84
Line......Page 85
Rhythm and visual beat......Page 87
Pattern......Page 88
Interest......Page 89
Scale......Page 90
Abstraction......Page 91
Understanding an image......Page 92
Summary......Page 97
Frame – an invisible focus of power......Page 98
Static viewpoint......Page 99
A hard cut-off......Page 100
Monochrome......Page 101
Frames within frames......Page 102
Frame and divided interest......Page 103
Summary......Page 104
Aspect ratio......Page 105
Viewfinder as an editing tool......Page 106
The invention of a world format standard......Page 107
Widescreen returns......Page 109
Design of the TV aspect ratio......Page 111
HDTV......Page 113
16:9 television widescreen......Page 114
A reasonable compromise between competing aspect ratios......Page 116
The divine proportion......Page 117
Widescreen – the shape of a banknote......Page 118
Summary of film and television formats mentioned......Page 119
Finding ways to compose for the new shape......Page 121
Widescreen advantages......Page 122
Pan and scan......Page 123
Cinematographers alarmed......Page 124
Common topline and super 35......Page 125
Summary......Page 126
Letterboxing......Page 127
Aspect ratio conversion......Page 128
Shooting for two formats......Page 129
Composing for 16:9......Page 130
Fidgety zooms......Page 131
The viewer takes control......Page 132
Inserting 4:3 material into a 16:9 production......Page 133
Distortion and definition......Page 134
Screen size......Page 135
Endnote, or in a different aspect ratio, NDNOT......Page 136
Summary......Page 137
Early influences......Page 138
The Rule of Thirds......Page 139
More recent influences......Page 140
Summary......Page 144
Fact and fiction......Page 146
Film as illusion......Page 147
Objectivity......Page 148
Operational awareness......Page 149
Realistic camerawork......Page 150
Documentary programmes......Page 151
Professionalism......Page 153
Summary......Page 155
Style and technique......Page 157
Technological development......Page 159
Staging the artistes......Page 162
Stylistic flourishes......Page 163
Multi-camera live television conventions......Page 164
The introduction of the zoom and television picture composition......Page 168
Portable cameras......Page 169
Genre......Page 170
Summary of the history of style......Page 182
The key pictorial force......Page 183
Gradations of brightness......Page 184
Exposure......Page 185
Characteristics of light......Page 186
Lighting technique......Page 187
Past influences......Page 192
Naturalism and found light......Page 197
Television lighting......Page 198
Expressing an idea through an image......Page 199
Summary......Page 200
How the eye sees colour......Page 201
Colour correction......Page 202
Colour as subject......Page 203
Monochrome......Page 204
Colour and composition......Page 206
Colour symbolism......Page 207
Summary......Page 208
Where shall I stand?......Page 209
What is staging?......Page 210
Staging people and staging action......Page 212
Figure composition......Page 214
Working at speed......Page 215
Summary......Page 216
Camera movement......Page 217
Invisible movement......Page 218
The development shot......Page 223
Accentuating the effect of camera movement......Page 227
Summary......Page 230
Invisible stitching......Page 232
Basic editing conventions......Page 233
Selection and editing......Page 235
Telling a story – fact and fiction......Page 237
News – unscripted shot structure......Page 240
Variety of shot......Page 242
Interviews......Page 247
How long should a shot be held?......Page 248
Basic editing principles......Page 256
Emphasis, tempo and syntax......Page 257
Multi-camera camerawork......Page 258
Dance and composition......Page 260
Summary......Page 261
Endnote......Page 262
Bibliography......Page 264
Index......Page 266
Color Plates Section......Page 278