Framing, the rule of thirds, and depth of field are important cinematography techniques that convey meaning. [1] Character positioning within a frame indicates their status and power. [2] The rule of thirds involves imagining a grid to place subjects in powerful compositional positions. [3] Depth of field focuses attention by manipulating sharpness in the foreground, middle ground, and background.

1. Further Cinematography
Framing, The Rule of Thirds and Depth of
Field

2. Framing
• Character position within a frame can
say a lot about their status, power and
personality.
• Because we read from left to right
characters who, usually, occupy screen
left or are positioned centrally are seen
as the most dominant character at that
moment in time. The same rule applies
to characters who are positioned higher
in the frame.

3. Watch the following clip from the Inbetweeners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3cXbrk4aIs&featur
e=channel
Discuss the status of the characters in shots that
follow

8. • Furthermore framing can be open or
closed.
• In an open frame the character will be
surrounded by a lot of open
space, possibly suggesting that the
character is free, whilst if the frame is
closed the character will be boxed
in, prompting feelings of entrapment.
Closed framing – Open framing – it’s easy to
character appears imagine what is beyond the
boxed into the frame frame

9. The Rule of Thirds
The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to imagine
breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally
and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. As follows.
Eyeline can help to convey the emotions of a character and
their psychological state of mind, their status and power and
finally their relationship with the viewer (encouraging or
discouraging identification and empathy)
Notice the range of emotion the following clip. How do
Framing, eyeline and distance work together to generate
meaning?

10. Depth of Field
• DOF is how sharp images are within a
frame. The frame for this purpose can be
divided into the foreground, middle ground
and background.
FG MG
BG

11. • TV dramas usually adopt a standard
depth of field (FG & MG sharp) or deep
focus where everything in the frame
(FG, MG & BG) is sharp and in focus.
Doing this allows the viewer to register
everything in the frame as important in
the process of making meaning.
• However, on occasions a shallow dof
may be adopted where only the FG is
sharp, focussing the viewers attention
on something particular.

12. Standard focus as the flowers in
the BG are slightly out of focus.
Shallow focus making the
flowers the main focal point
and ensuring that the
viewers attention is focussed
on them
Notice the subtle use of depth of field in the
following clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bnSW2a_H80&
feature=channel

13. Extension Task
• Follow up this presentation by making more
detailed notes from the following source.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematograph
y#Aspect_ratio_and_framing
• Then locate clips of British TV dramas from
you tube and practice, individually,
cinematographic textual analysis by making
detailed notes.