To start out this unit, we were tasked with reading How to Read a Movie, an article written by Roger Ebert. This post shall go over some of the most notable lessons found within his article, which we shall use to go through notable scenes in the near future.

Foreground and Background

Foreground has a stronger dominance than the background of a scene. This seems obvious, and yet it accounts for much of cinema. The object in the foreground is the main focus, which allows then the possibility of playing around with the camera focus if one wanted to then draw attention to the background.

Symmetry

When a scene appears symmetrically on a screen, it tends to indicate a stillness to the moment. On the other hand, the use of diagonals in the visual space indicates movement, making the visual more dynamic and interesting in the process. Additionally, the placement of an object within the visual space can affect the dominance of the object’s presence. The right half of the visual space is usually taken up by the more dominant figure, while the left side is made to appear weaker.

Lighting

Brighter spaces tend to have dominance over the darker areas of the visual space, however this is no definite rule, as darker figures can also become the focus when contrasted with a lighter surrounding.

Reflection

Lastly, I examined a few examples of scenes that utilize these concepts. Stanley Kubrick’s use of zooming in for The Shining is a great example of foregrounds containing the focus of the scene. This is well demonstrated here.

Behind every scene is a deliberate choice made that determines its energy, atmosphere or mood. Such techniques as listed above are only some of the many angles that filmmakers use to elevate their works into something that sparks an interest to the audience.