Moving Images, Understanding Media

Chapter 1 Motion Picture Language 21

Rule of Thirds

Th is lesson, called the rule of thirds, is employed to show artists that more

forceful impact is achieved by placing important visual elements, such as a

character’s face, at one of the points of intersection of the dividing lines in the

frame. Th e aesthetic impression and design possibilities of a composition may

be enhanced by refl ecting this pattern. Like many “rules” in the arts, this concept

should be looked at as a creative tool to be used when appropriate. Certainly,

some of the most successful compositional choices in the

history of the arts have been those in which the center

of interest is exactly in the middle of the frame. Aft er all,

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa still seems to attract quite

a few visitors, and many fi lmmakers fi nd that the greatest

impact in a particular shot is achieved by placing an actor

in close-up at the center of the frame.

Like the canvas of a painting or the page of a graphic

novel, the motion picture screen is fl at. Creators working

in all these media share a common challenge: to bring

the image to life by giving it depth. A fi lmmaker must

consider the ways in which three-dimensional space can be

used to give shape to the world on the screen. Placement,

movement, lighting, and camera position all aff ect what

the viewer perceives in the frame, and the establishment

of depth can help the visual storyteller to portray the

actions and events occurring in the story.

Figure 1-26 Sometimes a centered, balanced

composition can be appropriate in a shot,

as in this motion picture still featuring Taryn

Scozzari. (Courtesy of Carl Casinghino).

Figure 1-27 Choices of

composition face artists

working in a variety of

media, as seen through the

point of view, placement of

fi gures, and depth seen in

Law Offi ce, an oil painting on

linen by Christopher Benson.

(Courtesy Christopher Benson).

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