Basic Training: Composition Tips for 16:9 (page 2)

The great width of 16:9 gives you more room to tell your story and to have multiple stories going on in the same frame without crowding one another. In 4:3, often multiple elements were stacked one behind the other in an over-the-shoulder fashion. 16:9 allows you to spread them out more. You can, for example, have a closeup and a wide shot in the same frame. Put a character to one side, and use what's nearly a full 4:3 screen behind to have some other action going on that advances the story. In a 4:3, you might have to cut between two shots that you can fit in the same frame in 16:9.

You now have the ability to show vast sweeping landscapes, so do it. Cityscapes, fields and roads are waiting for you to record them.

Just because the action is going on 60 feet from the camera doesn't mean you can't add visual elements in the foreground. Someone getting in or out of a car can help set the scene for a busy New York street. Or you can use birds eating in a park, children playing, anything to liven up your shot. You don't want the foreground image to overpower your point of interest, but you can use the foreground to keep a rather static shot, such as two people talking on a bench, more animated.

Every time you watch a movie shot in widescreen format, pay attention to what the director of photography is doing. How is he using his screen real estate? What is he showing and how? The ability to view critically will be one of your greatest teachers.

16:9 is a whole different ballgame from the old 4:3 format. You have more screen to use and in different directions. Use it wisely.

Contributing columnist Kyle Cassidy is a visual artist who writes extensively about technology.

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