Sidebar: Study the Masters
Every year Hollywood gives out an Oscar for the film with the best cinematography - in theory, this is a movie which is at the very apex of its craft, in practice it is often a movie that simply did well at the box office, however, almost no movie with bad composition does well at the box office. Recent favorites include 2005's Memoirs of a Geisha, 2003's Moulin Rouge for its spectacular use of color, and 2001's beautifully filmed war movie Black Hawk Down. Take a critical look at some of the nominees. Pause the movie frequently and asked yourself:
- What compositional elements are being used in this shot? Why is this shot better than something else? Could it be improved? If it's a shot that contains action or movement, does the composition remain pleasing throughout? How was the camera placed and how was it moved?
- Using some string and tape, try making a "rule of thirds" grid across the front of your television, see how often this rule is followed by different cinematographers.
- Remember to use the letterbox versions of movies when studying composition. If the film has been "reformatted to fit your TV" it means that someone has already monkeyed with the composition.
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