Psychology of Cinematic Framing: Elements

Blog Series Part 3 of 10

“The Crucial Role of Preparation in Cinematography”

Welcome back to my cinematography blog! In today’s instalment of our 10-part series, “The Crucial Role of Preparation in Cinematography,” we dive deeper into the art of framing and its pivotal role in storytelling. As we continue our exploration, we’ll focus on how each element within the frame is meticulously positioned to enhance the narrative. While happy accidents do occasionally play a part, every frame I create is deliberately crafted with purpose and intent, directly tied to the story being told. Understanding the psychology of geometric composition is essential in this process. Join me as we delve into how thoughtful framing choices impact the emotional and psychological depth of a scene.

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a foundational framing technique that introduces balance, comfort, and familiarity to a scene. By aligning key elements along the frame’s thirds, this method streamlines focus and amplifies emotional impact. It naturally guides the viewer’s gaze in a spiral pattern, ensuring crucial story elements—whether characters, objects, or setting details—are prominently featured. The strategic use of color and lighting further directs the audience's attention, playing a crucial role in visual storytelling. This technique meets the audience’s expectations, offering a visually engaging and intuitively balanced cinematic experience. Here's an example of a shot I crafted for the Stephen King TV series "The Stand," demonstrating the powerful effect of the Rule of Thirds.

Center Punch Framing

Center Punch Framing positions a character centrally within the frame, imbuing them with a sense of dominance or formality, depending on the context. This technique is particularly effective in emphasizing a character's control or significance within a scene. In my work on the TV series "Opération Police," I utilized Center Punch Framing to underscore pivotal moments, showcasing how characters interact with and command their environment. By placing characters at the center, this framing method highlights their central role in the narrative, drawing the viewer's focus directly to their presence and influence.

Short-Sided Framing

Short-sided framing, an unconventional technique that places characters near the frame's edge looking away from the leading space, effectively invites tension and unease. This approach can suggest isolation, imbalance, or vulnerability, adding layers to character portrayal. “The Island Between Tides” exemplifies this with its portrayal of Lily, using this style to mirror her mental state when she realized that she’s been though a time fracture and she is no longer in sync with the present moment. 

Clean shot vs (OTS) Over the Shoulder

In cinematography, a clean shot and an over-the-shoulder (OTS) shot serve distinct storytelling purposes. Examples of these techniques can be seen in my work on “The Island Between Tides” & “Antlers”

A clean shot focuses solely on the subject, offering a clear and uninterrupted view that emphasizes the subject's emotions or reactions, fostering a direct connection with the audience.

In contrast, an OTS shot includes part of another character's shoulder and head in the foreground, framing the main subject. This technique is commonly used in dialogue scenes, creating a sense of conversation and connection between characters while providing context and spatial orientation within the scene. This approach enhances the feeling of interaction and engagement between the characters.

Headroom: A Tale of Comfort and Context

In cinematography, headroom is a crucial element that shapes the storytelling experience. Standard headroom centers attention on the character, creating a sense of comfort and focus. Conversely, increased headroom shifts the narrative emphasis, highlighting the character's environment and context.

This technique was effectively utilized in my latest film “First Family,” where I used extra headroom to accentuate the protagonist Anna's feelings of uncertainty and unease.

The framing in these scenes mirrors Anna's internal state as she navigates a potentially hostile environment, adding emotional depth to her journey.

Similarly, in my TV show “Opération Police,” the use of extra headroom contributes to a sense of entrapment, reflecting the character's feeling of being stuck as the world around him closes in.

Symmetry

Symmetry is a powerful tool in cinematography, captivating the audience by emphasizing the world in which the character evolves. It creates a sense of order and perfection but demands careful consideration to avoid conveying mixed messages. Renowned for its effectiveness in highlighting crucial moments, symmetry instills a feeling of meticulous control and implies an unforgiving precision.

Symmetry for Drama

In "First Family," we strategically employed symmetry for dramatic purposes to underscore how Anna perceives her world as heavy, controlling, unfair, and predominant.

This is particularly evident in the scene where Anna arrives at the auditions, setting an atmosphere of a flawlessly orchestrated, yet eerily artificial environment.

Symmetry for Comedy

In the Disney TV show “Gabby Duran and the Unsittables,” we used symmetry for comedic effect to bring a whimsical, structured feel to scenes with Principal Swift in his office.

This approach illustrates how he tries so hard to make everything perfect but instead comes across as fake, an imposter trying too hard.

When used thoughtfully, symmetry can enhance storytelling by visually reinforcing the underlying themes and emotions of a scene. It can also define entire movies, as seen in Wes Anderson’s signature style.

Leading Lines

In cinematographic framing, the strategic use of lines such as roads, railings, and walls can effectively guide the viewer’s gaze, adding both depth and direction to a shot. These lines create a visual path, leading the audience’s focus to key elements within the frame. In "The Island Between Tides," I utilized the leading lines of this building to direct attention towards Lily, enhancing both depth and narrative focus. Additionally, I employed reflection and symmetry to underscore a pivotal moment of split reality within the story, adding layers of meaning to the visual composition.

Frame Within a Frame

In the visual language of film, framing is not merely about what is seen but how it is seen. The technique of a frame within a frame, such as using architectural elements like windows or doorways, serves to isolate the subject, enhancing thematic undertones and emotional resonance. In the feature film "The Island Between Tides," we used this method to punctuates the climax of a chase sequence, amplifying the sense of entrapment and the unnerving feeling of being observed. By confining the character within the geometry of the setting, we convey a powerful sense of constriction and heightened tension that grips the viewer.

Geometric shapes in Framing

In the art of cinematography, the manipulation of negative space within a frame can create compelling geometric shapes, influencing the overall feel of an image. My framing technique involves envisioning negative space as geometric blocks that seamlessly blend to form a cohesive, storytelling frame. This approach is exemplified in a dolly shot from my film “The Island Between Tides”. It demonstrates how strategic arrangement of geometric elements within a frame can evoke a sense of harmony or discord, thereby enriching the visual narrative and emotional impact of the scene.

Aspect Ratio and Its Emotional Impact

The aspect ratio in cinematography transcends a mere technical choice; it profoundly shapes the viewer's psychological experience. Widescreen ratios like 2.39:1, 1.85:1, or 2:1 evoke a sense of expansiveness, resonating with audiences accustomed to these formats in both television and theatrical releases. Historically, TV utilized the 4:3 aspect ratio for technical reasons, but this has evolved.

Employing a 4:3 or square aspect ratio can create a claustrophobic feel, intensifying the narrative's emotional impact. In "First Family," I juxtapose 4:3 in flashbacks, symbolizing emotional entrapment, against 2.39:1 in present scenes to highlight contrast.

4:3

2.39:1

In "Island Between Tides," we employed a 7-minute aspect ratio change as Lily realized she was no longer in 1998 but in 2024 due to a time fracture event, enhancing the story's dramatic shift. 

Conclusion

As we conclude our exploration of the geometric shapes and element placement in framing, it becomes clear that every choice we make as cinematographers is an intentional stroke on the vast canvas of cinematic storytelling.

Throughout this series, we've explored that these decisions go beyond mere visual appeal; they hold psychological significance that weaves into the fabric of the narrative's emotional landscape. Such deliberate choices in cinematography not only define the aesthetics of a scene but also its essence, shaping how viewers feel and connect with the story being told.

Join us next week as we continue our series, "The Crucial Role of Preparation in Cinematography," with Part 4: "A Matter of Perspective (Lenses)"—an exploration of how lenses influence our visual narrative and alter the viewer's perception.