Framing and Composition: examples from our own footage

Here are some examples of framing and composition in our own shots.

This shot conforms to the Rule of Thirds, as Tayla is positioned on the right-hand side of the shot, making her movement appear more natural and fluid. We used the empty space to show elements of the forest location, such as the 'autumn leaves' and 'trees of loneliness', as to compliment the atmosphere created by the lyrics.

Here, Tayla is the central focus of the shot, drawing the eye directly towards her. The shot is dominated by her figure, making her appear bold and empowering while emphasizing her star image.

We have played around with the eyeline rule and headroom in our shots. In the first two shots, we felt that it was important to conform to the rule to make the shot appear more sophisticated while our star was lip syncing. However, we have also chosen to break the eyeline room and leave little headroom in the close up shots of Tayla in the forest, as it disturbs the balance of the shot, reflecting our characters state of mind.

Good leading space is shown in the shot below. This creates a sense of vulnerability for Little Red Riding Hood, emphasizing the dimensions of the forest and Big Bad Wolf, in comparison to herself.

By encompassing Tayla with brambles and trees, she appears small and insignificant in the frame. However, her red cape allows her to stand out among the naturally filemot coloured elements of the forest. The surroundings therefore work to highlight her presence in the large, scary forest.

Geometric shapes have also been used to help compose our shots, with the natural diagonal and vertical lines created by the trees, drawing focus to 'the morning light' and the protagonist running across the frame. This makes her movements appear more dramatic, as she cuts across the frame horizontally, disturbing the peace created by the smooth and easy to follow vertical lines of the trees.

We have also managed to incorporate The Golden Ratio in our shots, making Little Red Riding Hood's movements appear graceful. This allows the viewer to understand our stars position within the frame according to the narrative, as she is looking out into the empty space, in search of the Big Bad Wolf.