Compositions and designs - 1

Let’s start with each one of them one by one and try to understand them better. I would also introduce some more additional ideas to help us better understand as to what is required to create a visual vocabulary which appeals to the audience. (which are floating around like use of lines to create a visual flow, Colour, Staging………)

Rule of Thirds – The most fundamental principle which almost everyone has heard of is The Rule of Thirds. An excellent read for this is given by a really great artist Philip Straub on cgsociety -  http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=3275

Placing the elements of interest on one-third of the image makes the audience aware of not just the action but also the place where the action is taking place. This is accomplished with the aid of Negative space which is the space left unoccupied by the subject in a Composition. The space taken by the subject is known as Positive space. The primary role for Negative space thus becomes the registration of the location and indication of where the action is going to take place….Normally audience anticipates for the main action to place in that direction where more negative space is left.

Coming back to the Rule of Thirds – it is a general rule of thumb used by artists for Compositional purposes. I don’t want to get into the details of it as much is already written about it. Here are some of the sites which will prove helpful –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds
http://photoinf.com/Golden_Mean/John_Longenecker/Rule_of_Thirds.htm
http://www.hippasus.com/resources/viscomp/RuleThirds.html
Some of the main points about this principle are
- Registration of direction
- Registration of location
- Leading of the eye
Below is an example of how exactly the principle functions –



One of the Rules which I have always heard is of avoiding Symmetry as it gives rise to a very uninteresting frame which has repetition of Forms and Shapes. But as they always say – Rules are meant to be broken – one such situation is when one has to frame God; in this case a symmetrical frame would give the feel of God’s just and impartial nature towards his people. It would mean that God is equal for all and that he’s not on one particular side.



Also consider the following image of 300. It is because of the symmetry and repetition of forms in the scene that we get a feel of absolute power and anarchy. The low angle also certainly adds to the feel of evil and power.



Interestingly these ideas also are applicable in real - life scenarios also. For example, I have observed most of the class-rooms in the schools as well as colleges of India have a platform where the teacher sits thereby making him/her on a higher level than that of students. Normal reason for doing this might be that the teacher would be able to look over all his/her students. But thinking of the view of the students they would see the teacher from a lower angle and thus will feel psychologically overpowered. Physically (only in schools) and intellectually they are on a lower level but even psychologically they would find themselves on a lower ground because of this arrangement. Funny part is that the Students form the Majority and Teacher’s the Minority and still the Minority can easily keep the Majority in check because everything subconsciously re-enforces the Teacher’s control even the infrastructure. Other factors like age and height are quite common. This is the same arrangement infrastructure-wise which is used in political speeches, music concerts. The audience in both these scenarios can be found to be mesmerized not just because of the speeches or songs but also because they are seeing the person from a Low-angle and which gives them the feel of powerlessness.

From the other view-point i.e. of the politician, teacher, or rock-star they feel that the audience is in their control and thereby a Minority can keep the Majority in check. One thing which everyone is open to try in a meeting where one is trying to drive a point or make a proposal to the rest of the people. Try putting the proposal while sitting in your chair (where everyone is also sitting in their respective chairs, making them on the same level) and try the same while you alone are standing (making you on a higher level than others). Observe which one works better!!!!