We all strive for balance – in our lives, in our experiences, in our frames. So, when someone taps into the opposite, it can create an instant emotional reaction. Used in shot composition, imbalance becomes a strong tool in filmmaking as well. Let’s narrow it down a bit and explore the impact of headroom in storytelling – a simple yet astonishingly powerful technique to give your creative pictures visual subtext and allow a greater impact on the audience. Headroom (or head room) is the amount of space between the top of the frame and the subject’s head. Sometimes it is also called “negative space” or “matting”. There are several rules of composition, which guide you to construct your frame in the most eye-pleasing way, and we will talk about them later. Yet, once you know the rules, you can also break them. Try it, and your shot suddenly starts telling a completely different story without saying a word. You may call it “basics”. To me, though, this is exactly the moment when filmmaking magic enters the room. Headroom in storytelling: understanding visual subtext But before we dive into the power of unconventional headroom in storytelling, let’s go back to why such tools are important in the first place. In the MZed-course on visual storytelling, seasoned cinematographer Alex Buono reminds us of the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”, and then he refutes it straightaway. We’re completely inundated with images in our lives – 24/7. You’re making...
Published By: CineD - Friday, 14 July, 2023