How to Achieve Cinematic Composition in 8 Steps

Cinematic composition is the art of arranging visual elements in a frame to make your shots look professional, appealing, and meaningful. It is one of the most important skills for any photographer or filmmaker, as it can enhance the quality, impact, and message of your frame for both photography and videos.

But how do you achieve cinematic composition? What are the principles and techniques that you need to know and apply? In this blog post, we will teach you eight steps to achieve cinematic composition in photography & film, covering the topics of framing, lighting, color, depth, movement, symmetry, balance, and storytelling. We will also provide examples from famous movies and practical tips for applying these steps.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Framing

Framing is the process of choosing what to include and exclude in your shot, and how to position and align your subject and other elements in the frame. Framing can create different effects, such as creating a sense of scale, perspective, focus, or emotion.

One of the most common and useful framing techniques is the rule of thirds, which divides the frame into nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. The idea is to place your subject and points of interest along these lines or at their intersections, as this creates a more balanced and dynamic composition than placing them in the center.

Another framing technique is to use leading lines, curves, and shapes to guide the viewer’s eye to your subject or to create a sense of direction, movement, or depth. For example, you can use roads, rivers, fences, bridges, or buildings as leading lines, or use circles, triangles, or squares as shapes.

Step 2: Lighting

Lighting is the use of light and shadow to create contrast, mood, and atmosphere in your shots. Lighting can also affect the texture, color, and tone of your shots, as well as the visibility and expression of your subject.

One of the most important aspects of lighting is the quality of light, which can be either hard or soft. Hard light is direct and intense, creating sharp shadows and highlights, while soft light is diffused and gentle, creating smooth shadows and highlights. Hard light can create a dramatic, harsh, or realistic effect, while soft light can create a soft, romantic, or dreamy effect.

Another aspect of lighting is the direction of light, which can be either backlight, key light, fill light, or practical light. Backlight is the light that comes from behind your subject, creating a silhouette or a rim light. Key light is the main light that illuminates your subject, creating a dominant shadow. Fill light is the secondary light that fills in the shadow areas, creating a softer contrast. Practical light is the light that comes from a natural or artificial source within the scene, such as a lamp, a candle, or a window.

Step 3: Colour

Color is the use of different hues, shades, and tones to create harmony, contrast, and emotion in your shots. Color can also affect the mood, theme, and genre of your shots, as well as the characterization and symbolism of your subject.

One of the most useful tools for color is color theory, which is the study of how colors interact and affect each other. Color theory can help you choose the best color scheme for your shots, such as complementary, analogous, triadic, or monochromatic. Complementary colors are opposite colors on the color wheel, such as red and green, creating a strong contrast and a vibrant effect. Analogous colors are adjacent colors on the color wheel, such as blue and purple, creating a harmonious and soothing effect. Triadic colors are three colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel, such as yellow, blue, and red, creating a balanced and dynamic effect. Monochromatic colors are variations of the same color, such as light blue and dark blue, creating a subtle and elegant effect.

Another tool for color is color grading, which is the process of enhancing or changing the color of your shots in post-production. Color grading can help you adjust the exposure, contrast, saturation, temperature, and tint of your shots, as well as apply filters, presets, or LUTs (look up tables) to create a specific look or style.

Step 4: Depth

Depth is the use of depth of field, layers, and objects to create a sense of space and dimension in your shots. Depth can also affect the focus, perspective, and interest of your shots, as well as the relationship and distance between your subject and the environment.

One of the most common and effective ways to create depth is to use depth of field, which is the range of distance that is in focus in your shot. Depth of field can be either shallow or deep. Shallow depth of field is when only a small part of your shot is in focus, such as your subject, while the rest is blurred, creating a sense of isolation, intimacy, or attention. Deep depth of field is when most or all of your shot is in focus, such as your subject and the background, creating a sense of space, realism, or context.

Another way to create depth is to use foreground, middleground, and background, which are the three layers of distance in your shot. Foreground is the closest layer to the camera, middleground is the middle layer, and background is the farthest layer. By using different elements in each layer, such as objects, people, or scenery, you can create a sense of depth, perspective, and interest in your shot.

Step 5: Movement

Movement is the use of camera movement and subject movement to create a sense of dynamism, tension, or emotion in your shots. Movement can also affect the pace, rhythm, and energy of your shots, as well as the direction, transition, and continuity of your shots.

One of the most important aspects of movement is camera movement, which is the movement of the camera itself or the movement of the camera angle. Camera movement can be either static or dynamic. Static camera movement is when the camera stays still or fixed, creating a sense of stability, calmness, or observation. Dynamic camera movement is when the camera moves or changes angle, creating a sense of motion, excitement, or involvement. There are many types of camera movement, such as pans, tilts, zooms, dolly, crane, handheld, etc.

Another aspect of movement is subject movement, which is the movement of your subject or the movement of something within your subject. Subject movement can be either voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary subject movement is when your subject moves or acts intentionally, such as walking, running, jumping, etc. Involuntary subject movement is when your subject moves or reacts unintentionally, such as blinking, breathing, trembling, etc.

Step 6: Symmetry

Symmetry is the use of symmetry and asymmetry to create a sense of balance, order, and beauty in your shots. Symmetry can also affect the harmony, contrast, and focus of your shots, as well as the meaning, symbolism, and emotion of your shots.

One of the most common and appealing forms of symmetry is reflection symmetry, which is when one half of your shot is a mirror image of the other half, such as a person and their reflection in a lake, or a building and its reflection in a window. Reflection symmetry can create a sense of balance, harmony, and beauty in your shot, as well as a sense of calmness, serenity, or mystery.

Another form of symmetry is rotational symmetry, which is when your shot can be rotated by a certain angle and still look the same, such as a circle, a star, or a snowflake. Rotational symmetry can create a sense of order, proportion, and elegance in your shot, as well as a sense of unity, completeness, or perfection.

A way to break or contrast symmetry is to use asymmetry, which is when your shot is not symmetrical or balanced, such as a person and their shadow, or a tree and a cloud. Asymmetry can create a sense of imbalance, chaos, and tension in your shot, as well as a sense of surprise, contrast, or focus.

Step 7: Balance

Balance is the use of balance and imbalance to create a sense of stability, harmony, and proportion in your shots. Balance can also affect the interest, variety, and emphasis of your shots, as well as the weight, distribution, and alignment of your shots.

One of the most common and simple forms of balance is formal balance, which is when your shot is symmetrical or evenly distributed, such as a person in the center of the frame, or two people on each side of the frame. Formal balance can create a sense of stability, harmony, and proportion in your shot, as well as a sense of simplicity, clarity, or neutrality.

Another form of balance is informal balance, which is when your shot is asymmetrical or unevenly distributed, such as a person on the edge of the frame, or a group of people on one side of the frame. Informal balance can create a sense of instability, disharmony, and disproportion in your shot, as well as a sense of complexity, interest, or tension.

A way to adjust or contrast balance is to use radial balance, which is when your shot is arranged around a central point or a circular shape, such as a person in the middle of a crowd, or a flower in the middle of a field. Radial balance can create a sense of focus, attraction, and movement in your shot, as well as a sense of unity, completeness, or perfection.

Step 8: Storytelling (film)

Storytelling is the use of storytelling elements and techniques to communicate your message, theme, and vision in your shots. Storytelling can also affect the narrative, structure, and style of your shots, as well as the engagement, emotion, and meaning of your shots.

One of the most important aspects of storytelling is the use of characters, conflict, and plot, which are the basic elements of any story. Characters are the people or entities that your story is about, conflict is the problem or challenge that your characters face, and plot is the sequence of events that your characters go through. By using these elements, you can create a compelling and coherent story that your audience can relate to and care about.

Another aspect of storytelling is the use of storytelling techniques, such as continuity, montage, parallel editing, etc. Continuity is the technique of maintaining a consistent and logical flow of time, space, and action in your shots, such as using match cuts, eye-line matches, or shot-reverse-shot. Montage is the technique of combining a series of shots to create a condensed and expressive representation of time, space, or action, such as using jump cuts, cross cuts, or dissolve. Parallel editing is the technique of cutting back and forth between two or more scenes that are happening simultaneously but in different locations, such as using intercutting, cross-cutting, or split-screen.

Conclusion

Cinematic composition is the art of arranging visual elements in a frame to make your shots look professional, appealing, and meaningful. It is one of the most important skills for any photographer or filmmaker, as it can enhance the quality, impact, and message of your videos.

In this blog post, we have taught you eight steps to achieve cinematic composition in filmmaking, covering the topics of framing, lighting, color, depth, movement, symmetry, balance, and storytelling. We have also provided examples from famous movies and practical tips for applying these steps.

We hope you have learned something useful and interesting from this blog post, and that you will apply these steps to your own filmmaking projects. Remember, cinematic composition is not a fixed set of rules, but a creative and flexible process that depends on your vision, intention, and style. So, experiment, explore, and express yourself with cinematic composition, and have fun!

If you are new to photography and want to get started with the essentials, check out this guide that will help you get going in 5 easy steps.