ARTICLE RESPONSE 3/17/19

            Power through Composition



            We all have those favorite scenes in movies which grab our heartstrings, that glue your eyes to the screen and mesmerize you in ways you never have known. Whether it be the climax, ending scene, or even the beginning composition. There's a reason gif-edits exist of extraordinary shots! It's all due to the film composition, aka, camera angles, choice of importance, and many other factors that play into creating that emotional, and powerful, message. Aesthetically pleasing shots make viewers more inclined to watch, and show professionalism and experience, even if the scene is as plain as an establishing shot! In the article, "How to Give Characters Power Through Composition" by V Renée, Renée speaks in depth about the importance of composition, and how it can define a character's personality, or scene.
            Renée starts out strong, addressing the elephant in the room- The Rule of Thirds. It's known by amateur artists and the professionals, and the most widely used rule. Categorized by a three by three grid on your scene, this rule helps keep the balance, and establish a powerful dominance of a character. Renée demonstrates with an image of two men taking up the first and last horizontal rows, with empty space in the middle horizontal row. It's nearly symmetrical, clearly showing the emotion between the two, and gives a good idea to the viewer about how they view each other. She then links a video by John Tindell titled, "Rule of Thirds, and Depth." In that video, many more examples are shown to illustrate a clearer view of the staple rule. Furthermore, Tindell discusses another valuable composition law-- Depth. 
            There are many levels to a scene, and each holds their own importance and meaning. For example, the foreground of a scene brings them 'closer to the audience, but also puts them "first in line" in the order in which people view images.' (Renée). It defines the importance, and draws a focus and attention to the character. Another level is Center Framing, a technique to utilize the aesthetics of a scene, and displays the importance of the center frame, using the side elements as a component to draw the focus. Size is another factor in a scene, as much bigger characters demand more attention, and your eye is naturally drawn to them first. It displays personality, strength and dominance over a smaller character in the frame. Even without the body language, you can tell clearly who has the spotlight in the scene by the size! Color works in your favor as well, different grey scales with a single colored or vibrant object often draw much attention. Think, if you're in a pure white room, and there's a red bow in the corner, you're clearly going to be drawn to the bow, rather than the walls or doors. In the end, Renée links two other helpful articles on Aesthetic Theory and a second Composition article.
            Surprisingly, none of this is huge news to me! The Rule Of Thirds is by far my favorite shot composition, the balance just brings a level of harmonious understanding to me that other shots can't quite seem to capture. I've worked with shot compositions in film quite a bit, and understand the importance of capturing a perfect level of depth and size in order to show power and focus. I found this article quite refreshing, and it serves as a great reminder to always plan out a shot, and discuss the emotions around it before executing said scene! Renée's writing is well, albeit a bit short and brief, but extremely understandable. This was a fantastic article, however, I would have liked a better explanation on a few things she touched upon.
            We all know the layout of a scene is important, and with all this rules, it's clear as day that Renée explained plainly how to achieve a perfect shot. Combination is a god-send, and mixing and matching different shot styles can only benefit you in finding your artistic style! The Rule of Thirds, Depth levels, Sizing, and Coloring all play a factor in framing your film or animation, and aesthetics remain the most important reasoning behind love and adoration in such styles.