🎬 Cinematography: Composition & Coverage
The Art of Telling Stories Through Your Camera
Imagine you have a magic window. Through this window, you can show people exactly what you want them to see. That’s what cinematography is! Today, we’ll learn how to use this magic window to tell amazing stories.
🎨 Part 1: Composition Principles
What is Composition?
Think of composition like arranging toys on a shelf. Where you put each toy matters! In movies, composition is how you arrange everything the camera sees.
Simple Analogy:
- Imagine you’re taking a photo of your best friend
- Do you put them in the corner? In the middle?
- Where you place them changes how the photo feels
🔲 The Rule of Thirds
The most famous trick in filmmaking!
Imagine this: Draw a tic-tac-toe grid on your screen. Two lines going across. Two lines going up and down. Now you have 9 boxes!
┌───┬───┬───┐
│ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │
└───┴───┴───┘
The Magic Rule: Put important things where the lines cross! These four spots are called power points.
Example:
- A hero’s eyes at the top-right crossing
- A treasure chest at the bottom-left crossing
- This looks WAY more interesting than putting everything dead center!
⚖️ Balance
Balance is like a seesaw. If something heavy is on one side, you need something on the other side too!
Visual Balance Types:
| Type | What It Means | Feeling |
|---|---|---|
| Symmetrical | Same on both sides | Calm, formal |
| Asymmetrical | Different but balanced | Dynamic, interesting |
Example:
- A person on the left looking right
- Empty space on the right where they’re looking
- This is called looking room – it feels natural!
📐 Leading Lines
Lines that guide your eyes to the important stuff!
graph TD A[Road going into distance] --> B[Hero standing at end] C[Fence pointing right] --> D[Villain hiding] E[Staircase going up] --> F[Mystery door]
Real Life Examples:
- A long hallway leading to a door
- Train tracks going toward the sunset
- A pointing finger aimed at a clue
🖼️ Framing Within Frames
Using shapes to create a “picture inside your picture.”
Examples:
- Looking through a window at a character
- An archway surrounding a hero
- Tree branches creating a natural frame
Why it works: It’s like gift wrapping your subject – makes them extra special!
📏 Part 2: Shot Sizes and Framing
The Shot Size Family
Think of shot sizes like looking at someone from different distances:
👀 Extreme Wide Shot (EWS)
What you see: A HUGE area. Your character is tiny, like an ant.
Feels like: “Wow, look at this amazing world!”
Example: A cowboy riding through a massive desert.
🏔️ Wide Shot (WS)
What you see: The whole character from head to toe, plus their surroundings.
Feels like: “Here’s our hero, and here’s where they are.”
Example: A dancer standing in an empty theater.
👤 Full Shot (FS)
What you see: The entire character, head to toe, filling most of the frame.
Feels like: Meeting someone for the first time.
Example: A superhero striking a pose.
🧍 Medium Shot (MS)
What you see: Character from the waist up.
Feels like: Having a normal conversation.
Example: Two friends talking at a lunch table.
😊 Close-Up (CU)
What you see: Just the face, filling the screen.
Feels like: Seeing every emotion, every thought.
Example: A tear rolling down someone’s cheek.
👁️ Extreme Close-Up (ECU)
What you see: Just one tiny detail – an eye, a finger, a key.
Feels like: “THIS is super important! Pay attention!”
Example: A finger pressing a red button.
📊 Shot Size Quick Reference
graph TD EWS[🌍 Extreme Wide] --> WS[🏠 Wide Shot] WS --> FS[🧍 Full Shot] FS --> MS[👤 Medium Shot] MS --> CU[😊 Close-Up] CU --> ECU[👁️ Extreme Close-Up] style EWS fill:#e8f4fc style ECU fill:#fce8e8
Remember: Going closer = more emotion. Going wider = more context.
🎥 Part 3: Coverage Shot Types
What is Coverage?
Coverage means filming the same scene from different angles. It’s like having multiple photographers at a birthday party – each one captures something different!
🎯 The Master Shot
What it is: One long shot that captures the ENTIRE scene from start to finish.
Why we need it: It’s your safety net! If something goes wrong with other shots, you always have this.
Example: Filming a whole dinner conversation from across the room.
👥 Over-the-Shoulder Shot (OTS)
What it is: Camera looks over one person’s shoulder at another person.
Why we use it: Shows who’s talking to whom. Creates connection.
┌─────────────────────┐
│ [Shoulder] [Face] │
│ ↑ ↑ │
│ Person A Person B│
└─────────────────────┘
Example: Two detectives questioning a suspect.
🔄 Reverse Shot
What it is: The opposite angle of your previous shot.
Works with: Over-the-shoulder shots
Pattern:
- Shot of Person A talking
- Shot of Person B listening (reverse)
- Back to Person A
📍 Insert Shot
What it is: A quick close-up of an object or detail.
Why we use it: Shows something important the audience NEEDS to see.
Examples:
- A clock showing midnight
- A hand picking up a knife
- A text message on a phone
🎭 Reaction Shot
What it is: A shot showing someone’s face as they react to something.
Why it’s magic: The REACTION is often more powerful than the action!
Example:
- Instead of showing the scary monster…
- Show a face full of fear!
- Your imagination fills in the rest.
🔄 Point-of-View Shot (POV)
What it is: The camera becomes someone’s eyes. We see what they see.
Feels like: Being inside a character’s head!
Example: Looking down at your hands tied together.
📋 Part 4: Coverage Planning
Why Plan Coverage?
Imagine building a puzzle. You need ALL the pieces before you can finish it!
Coverage planning means deciding which shots you need BEFORE you start filming.
📝 The Shot List
A written plan of every shot you need.
Simple Shot List Example:
| Shot # | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wide | Master shot of kitchen |
| 2 | Medium | Mom cooking |
| 3 | Close-up | Pot boiling over |
| 4 | Reaction | Mom’s surprised face |
| 5 | Insert | Hand turning off stove |
🎨 Storyboarding
Drawing your shots like a comic book!
graph LR A[📦 Box 1: Wide shot] --> B[📦 Box 2: Medium shot] B --> C[📦 Box 3: Close-up] C --> D[📦 Box 4: Reaction]
Benefits:
- See your movie before filming
- Share your vision with your team
- Catch problems early
🧮 The 180-Degree Rule
The Invisible Line: Imagine a line between two people talking. Your camera should ALWAYS stay on one side of this line!
Person A ←→ Person B
─────────────────────────
✅ Camera ✅ Camera
stays here stays here
❌ Don't cross to the other side!
Why? Crossing the line confuses viewers. Suddenly left becomes right, and everyone gets dizzy!
⏰ Coverage Time Management
The Golden Rule:
- Wide shots = Film first (need the most setup)
- Close-ups = Film last (faster to set up)
Time Saving Tip: Film all shots in one direction before moving the camera to a new angle. This is called matching eyelines.
🎬 Minimum Coverage Checklist
For any conversation scene, you need at least:
- [ ] 1 Master shot (wide)
- [ ] 1 Medium of each person
- [ ] 1 Over-the-shoulder each direction
- [ ] Close-ups of reactions
- [ ] Insert shots of important objects
🌟 Putting It All Together
The Magic Formula
graph TD A[📐 Composition] --> D[🎬 Great Scene] B[📏 Shot Sizes] --> D C[🎥 Coverage] --> D D --> E[😍 Happy Audience]
Remember:
- Composition = Where you put things in frame
- Shot Sizes = How close or far you are
- Coverage = Getting all the angles you need
- Planning = Being smart before you start
💡 Final Tips for Young Filmmakers
Start Simple:
- Master the Rule of Thirds first
- Get your master shot before anything else
- Don’t cross that invisible 180-degree line!
Practice Exercise: Watch your favorite movie scene. Pause it. Ask yourself:
- Where are things placed? (Composition)
- How close is the camera? (Shot size)
- How many different angles do they use? (Coverage)
You’re Ready! Now you have the tools to frame beautiful shots, capture all the coverage you need, and plan like a professional.
Go make something amazing! 🎬✨