View the videos in the "Clips and Tips" playlist for professional video clips that showcase a variety of filmmaking techniques.
Test Yourself
View the videos in the "Test Yourself" playlist and ask yourself, "What do I like or dislike about this shot?
Here's what we think about it.
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Clip 1
This shot is well framed. Here are some reasons why the framing is so good:
The main participant is not directly in the center of the frame- she is off to the side.
The filmmaker allows the viewer to see all of the action while staying close by- it is a nice Medium Shot.
There is not headspace above the main participant- she is perfectly framed above and below for a Medium Shot.
If this were a wide shot, we would want to see her whole body.
The composition feels balanced- one person is closer to the camera and off to the side, while two other people are further away and fill the background.
The background people and the environment (sailboat/water) add nice movement to the shot.
There are vibrant colors.
The shot is well exposed.
Even though this footage was shot handheld (no tripod) there is not any jarring movement-the filmmaker held the camera as still as they could.
Clip 2
This is a unique shot, meaning the framing is creative and distinct. Here are some reasons why it is a unique and creative shot:
The foreground (the student) is in focus while the background is out of focus.
It is a Close-up shot that doesn’t reveal everything that is going on, which makes it a perfect shot to see at the beginning of a sequence. Imagine starting a sequence with this shot and then following up with a Wide Shot that reveals a student at a computer editing.
The student is not in the center of the frame- he is off to the side.
The student is turning and talking to someone off camera and this adds nice movement to the frame- it is okay to have your participant move on/off frame throughout the shot.
There is nice subtle movement in the background- the image on the computer screen is moving.
There are vibrant colors.
The shot is well exposed.
Clip 3
This shot is well framed. Here are some reasons why the framing is so good:
What Does Work:
Having the rocket shoot off in the background is great- it adds nice movement to the shot!
Having two people interacting in the shot draws the viewer in.
The shot is dynamic- there is a lot going on which keeps the viewer interested.
What Doesn’t Work:
The shot is over-exposed. It is too bright overall and as a result the highlights wash out what would have been great color contrast.
At the beginning of the shot, there is a person on the left hand side of the frame who is cut off in a distracting way. However, on the right hand side of the frame, there is empty space. Even though the ‘cut-off’ person leaves the frame by the end of the shot, it is always nice to start a shot with the composition balanced. Therefore, the framing should be slightly moved to the left so that it reveals the squatting person’s whole body and it eliminates the empty space on the right. Doing this will help the frame feel more balanced.
In addition, by moving the frame slightly to the left will help the placement of the two main people. By moving the framing to the left, these two people will not be so centrally located in the frame, and as a result, our eyes are free to move around and see everything in the scene unfold.
There is slightly too much headspace- especially after the rocket goes off. Since this is a handheld shot, the filmmaker could have adjusted the tilt of the camera as the composition changed with time.
