Overview of film and television composition

The concept of composition has broad sense and narrow sense. Composition in a broad sense refers to the photographer's creative process from material selection, conception to modeling, which summarizes all combinations from content to form. In a narrow sense, composition mainly refers to the structure and layout of the picture, that is, the connection and combination of various image elements in the picture. The first two lectures discuss important concepts such as scenery, angle and depth of field from the change of position and focal length. These concepts have actually involved the scope of composition, or composition needs to consider the influence of these factors. So we can say that the first two lectures are about composition in a broad sense, and this lecture is about composition in a narrow sense.

First, the concept of composition

Broadly speaking, the photographer's creative process from material selection, conception to modeling embodies all combinations from content to form.

Narrow sense: In a certain picture format, in order to express some content and visual aesthetic effect, the objects to be expressed in front of the camera and various modeling elements of photography are organically organized and distributed in the picture to form a certain picture structure.

Second, the role of film and television composition

Film and television composition refers to the structural form of the picture, so its main function is to serve the theme and content of the film.

1. Narrative function: highlight the subject image and better narrative.

Correct selection and establishment of the subject status, reasonable handling of the relationship between subject and companion, subject and environment, selection of scenes and shooting angles, exclusion of irrelevant elements, highlighting the subject and object, so as to better narrative.

2. Modeling function: make the picture full of artistic expression and aesthetic feeling.

Through the spatial configuration of the picture and the modeling elements such as light, color, tone, line and shape, colorful, beautiful and vivid composition forms are created, which makes the picture full of artistic expression and beauty.

3. Symbolic function: create the metaphorical effect of the picture.

(1) position arrangement

Central Committee: important, with a sense of stability and authority, often used to express a serious and solemn atmosphere.

Top: It has power, a sense of sacredness, a sense of oppression, and a condescending trend, as if controlling everything below.

Bottom: subordinate, fragile and insignificant.

Edge: it doesn't seem important, there are squeezing, repulsion, smallness and powerlessness.

For example, the film One and Eight, directed by Jun-Zhao Zheng and filmed by Zhang Yimou, has played an extraordinary expressive role in the use of film modeling language. Under the grasp of the overall impression, the bold use of incomplete composition of the picture has caused a strong visual impact. Those visual structures, which are sometimes incomplete and sometimes depressed, reveal the evil deeds committed by prisoners, the distortion of their hearts and the tension of instant awakening of their personality. The environment in the film is mostly narrow, closed and depressing, such as the mill, empty room, cellar and other narrow spaces. The photography of the film pays attention to the use of print-style black-and-white contrast, showing the dignity and strength like sculpture.

(2) Area size

A large area means an increase in visual weight, which means paying attention to the importance and authority of the content, while a small area means a small position and being ignored.

Third, the characteristics of film and television composition

Thinking: What is the difference between film and television composition, painting composition and photography composition?

1, dynamic

With the movement of the subject and the camera, the composition structure and plot focus of the picture will change accordingly, and the position of the subject in the picture and the perspective relationship of the picture image will also change.

This is the fundamental difference between film and television composition, painting composition and photography composition, and other characteristics of film and television composition are rooted in this feature.

Step 2 be complete

The theme and content of film and television works usually need a series of montage shots, and each shot only carries a part of the task of film narration, which requires the photographer to have a holistic consciousness in film and television composition, and the treatment of a single shot must be "open", "extensive" and "inherited".

For example, as far as the composition of a single picture is concerned, it is often necessary to leave more space in front of people's line of sight, but when using two lenses to express the dialogue between characters, more space will be left in front of people's line of sight for the sake of overall aesthetic feeling.

3. Time limit:

The length of film and television pictures is different, and the amount of information carried and conveyed is also different. The audience can only watch and accept the picture information once and for all, which becomes the limitation of the audience's viewing.

The time limit of picture composition and performance requires that the picture composition of film and television must be concise, concentrated and clear, and it cannot be watched repeatedly like art works and photos.