Lecture 7

Composition & Framing

Class Plan

0:00 – 0:10
Introduction
Quickly thumbnail the same simple scene (a character entering a room) in 3 different ways. This sets up the idea that every frame is a choice.
From storyboard to screen
Examples from Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs. Click an image to view it full size.
Storyboard vs. final frame Shot list thumbnails and finished shots Animatic vs. finished film
0:10 – 0:50
Core Composition Principles, Framing and Shot Types
- Rule of thirds and the power of placing subjects off-centre
- Leading lines: directing the eye to the focal point
- Shape language and silhouette readability
- Balance: symmetry vs. asymmetry, and negative space
- Value grouping: using light and dark to organize the frame
- Shot sizes: extreme wide, wide, medium, close-up, extreme close-up
- Camera angles: high, low, eye-level, Dutch tilt, and what each communicates emotionally
- Foreground / midground / background layering for depth
- Framing within a frame (doorways, windows, foliage)
Week 6: Composition & Framing
Presentation slides (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
0:50 – 1:00
Break and Screening
Look at 3 to 4 film or animation stills and identify the composition choices in each one.
1:00 – 2:00
Hands-on Exercise
Using a short story beat, such as “a character discovers something frightening” or “two friends reconcile,” draw 10 to 20 thumbnail panels. Use a different shot type and angle for each panel, then annotate why you chose each one. This ties in Weeks 2 to 5: figures, expressions, and environments.
Examples
From Directing the Story by Francis Glebas. Notice how shot size and angle change from panel to panel. Click a page to view it full size.
Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12
2:00 – 2:05
Share and Wrap-up
Quick pair-share or gallery walk, plus homework.