Film Blocking and Composition

Film Blocking and Composition

“If you have tried your hand at directing, you have most likely found yourself in the same predicament that filmmakers have been facing since the dawn of cinema. Where do I put the camera and how will my actors move through the scene? Although it is integral to a director’s skillset to tell a story, I am always amazed at how few filmmakers truly understand great blocking. Luckily, we can do what we always do in filmmaking when we want to learn. Watch the masters.”

 

New York Today: The Place to Podcast

New York Today: The Place to Podcast

Let’s podcast!

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Gordon Parks’s Long-Forgotten Color Photographs of Everyday Segregation

Gordon Parks’s Long-Forgotten Color Photographs of Everyday Segregation

You Don’t Need a Studio for Pro Portraits — Make the Most of What You DO Have

Aside

You Don’t Need a Studio for Pro Portraits — Make the Most of What You DO Have

My favorite is cutting a hole in a reflector for a “natural” ring light effect!

Motivation, 3/3/15, Winners of Pictures of the Year International

Motivational Exercise: “Do Now” – Tuesday, 3/3/15

Winners of Pictures of the Year International

  1. Read the essay and describe the image(s) below from NYT PhotoBlog, in three (3) individual sentences (each) using photographic compositional terms. Explain your ideas clearly. Post your response directly into the blog under “Leave a Reply“.

Screen Shot 2015-03-03 at 4.13.47 PM

Screen Shot 2015-03-03 at 4.12.42 PM

Things to Think About…

  • What do you see? Describe the visual clues, what is going on in the image(s).
  • How does the image(s) make you feel? Describe what you see in visual terms.
  • What visual threads tie the images together?
Refer to the photographic compositional link above for ideas and accurate terms to describe the image(s), then choose three concepts to elaborate on, for example:
  • Speak about the camera angle / lens choice / background / the props and lighting.
  • Does the image follow the rule of thirds (please explain in detail)?
  • Describe the compositional elements of the image(s); shape & form / line / space / value / texture and color within the image.
  • Describe the compositional principles within the image(s); emphasis / balance / unity / contrast / movement & rhythm / pattern / repetition within the images.

Motivation, 3/2/15, Winners of Pictures of the Year International

Motivational Exercise: “Do Now” – Monday, 3/2/15

Winners of Pictures of the Year International

  1. Read the essay and describe the image below from NYT PhotoBlog, in three (3) individual sentences using photographic compositional terms. Explain your ideas clearly. Post your response directly into the blog under “Leave a Reply“.

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 7.20.03 AMThings to Think About…

  • What do you see? Describe the visual clues, what is going on in the image(s).
  • How does the image(s) make you feel? Describe what you see in visual terms.
  • What visual threads tie the images together?
Refer to the photographic compositional link above for ideas and accurate terms to describe the image(s), then choose three concepts to elaborate on, for example:
  • Speak about the camera angle / lens choice / background / the props and lighting.
  • Does the image follow the rule of thirds (please explain in detail)?
  • Describe the compositional elements of the image(s); shape & form / line / space / value / texture and color within the image.
  • Describe the compositional principles within the image(s); emphasis / balance / unity / contrast / movement & rhythm / pattern / repetition within the images.

Motivation, 2/11/15, From Smartphones to Museum Walls

Motivational Exercise: “Do Now” – Thursday, 2/11/15

From Smartphones to Museum Walls

  1. Read the essay and describe the image below from lensblog, in three individual sentences using photographic compositional terms. Explain your ideas clearly.
  2. Post your response directly into the blog under “Leave a Reply”.

Screen Shot 2015-02-11 at 7.13.28 AM

Take time to look at the image(s) and review the story for greater understanding of the artist(s) vision.  

  • What do you see? What are the visual clues?
  • How do the images make you feel?  
  • What visual threads tie the images together?  
Refer to the photographic compositional link above for ideas and accurate terms to describe the image(s), then choose three concepts to elaborate on, for example:
  • Speak about the camera angle / lens choice / background / the props and lighting.
  • Does the image follow the rule of thirds (please explain in detail)?
  • Describe the compositional elements of the image(s); shape & form / line / space / value / texture and color within the image.
  • Describe the compositional principles within the image(s); emphasis / balance / unity / contrast / movement & rhythm / pattern / repetition within the images.

Motivation, 1/9/15, ASTONISHING SETS IN THE STREETS OF NYC

Motivational Exercise: “Do Now” – Friday, 1/9/15

PHOTOGRAPHER BUILDS ASTONISHING SETS IN THE STREETS OF NYC USING DISCARDED ITEMS

livingroom1livingroom2

  1. Read the essay and describe the image(s) above from featureshoot.com, in three individual sentences using photographic compositional terms. Explain your ideas clearly.
  2. Post your response directly into the blog under “Leave a Reply”.

Take time to look at the image(s) and review the story for greater understanding of the artist(s) vision.  

  • What do you see? What are the visual clues?
  • How do the images make you feel?  
  • What visual threads tie the images together?  
Refer to the photographic compositional link above for ideas and accurate terms to describe the image(s), then choose three concepts to elaborate on, for example:
  • Speak about the camera angle / lens choice / background / the props and lighting.
  • Does the image follow the rule of thirds (please explain in detail)?
  • Describe the compositional elements of the image(s); shape & form / line / space / value / texture and color within the image.
  • Describe the compositional principles within the image(s); emphasis / balance / unity / contrast / movement & rhythm / pattern / repetition within the images.

Motivation, 12/18/14, Portraits of Museum Guardians in Russia

Motivational Exercise: “Do Now” – Thursday, 12/18/14

Portraits of Museum Guardians in Russia

  1. Read the essay and describe the image below from featureshoot.com, in three individual sentences using photographic compositional terms. Explain your ideas clearly.
  2. Post your response directly into the blog under “Leave a Reply”.

unnamedTake time to look at the image(s) and review the story for greater understanding of the artist(s) vision.  

  • What do you see? What are the visual clues?
  • How do the images make you feel?  
  • What visual threads tie the images together?  
Refer to the photographic compositional link above for ideas and accurate terms to describe the image(s), then choose three concepts to elaborate on, for example:
  • Speak about the camera angle / lens choice / background / the props and lighting.
  • Does the image follow the rule of thirds (please explain in detail)?
  • Describe the compositional elements of the image(s); shape & form / line / space / value / texture and color within the image.
  • Describe the compositional principles within the image(s); emphasis / balance / unity / contrast / movement & rhythm / pattern / repetition within the images.

Motivation, 12/13/14, Janie’s Got A Gun

Motivational Exercise: “Do Now” – Saturday, 12/13/14

  1. Read the essay and describe the image below from the New York Times Photo Blog, in three individual sentences using photographic compositional terms. Explain your ideas clearly.
  2. Post your response directly into the blog under “Leave a Reply”.
  3. Aerosmith Youtube Video Link – Janie’s Got A Gun 

Screen Shot 2014-12-13 at 2.29.05 PMTake time to look at the image(s) and review the story for greater understanding of the artist(s) vision.  

  • What do you see? What are the visual clues?
  • How do the images make you feel?  
  • What visual threads tie the images together?  
Refer to the photographic compositional link above for ideas and accurate terms to describe the image(s), then choose three concepts to elaborate on, for example:
  • Speak about the camera angle / lens choice / background / the props and lighting.
  • Does the image follow the rule of thirds (please explain in detail)?
  • Describe the compositional elements of the image(s); shape & form / line / space / value / texture and color within the image.
  • Describe the compositional principles within the image(s); emphasis / balance / unity / contrast / movement & rhythm / pattern / repetition within the images.