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Intentional framing and visual grammar


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Thanks.. interesting article.. TBH personally I found the Mr Robot framing way too contrived.. hey wow look at my arty framing.. without it being part of or helping the story at all.. often the "rules" of framing are there for good reason.. also from the world of art.. or way further back when you think of the golden section ..they just look better.. if it part of the story/mood/scene.. to use un conventional framing Im all for it.. . but if not.. why do it.. I think it can detract from the story.. just my opinion of course..

Edited by Robin R Probyn
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I have a funny feeling that this is one of those subjects about which you can justify more or less any position and sound like a college professor while you do so, while simultaneously adding nothing of note to the progression of thinking on the subject of film and television.

 

I say this without having read the article, but I must admit a pigeonhole is being formed for it in my brain.

 

P

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I have a funny feeling that this is one of those subjects about which you can justify more or less any position and sound like a college professor while you do so, while simultaneously adding nothing of note to the progression of thinking on the subject of film and television.

 

Well, here I go...

 

Great article, thanks. One thing I find interesting with the rise of home viewing over going to the movie theater is shooting 2:35 scope is now a "smaller" image as opposed to "wider" because it's letterboxed on 16x9 televisions. So, when shows leave headroom on a 16x9 frame, the image actually feels larger, wider, and more open on a small TV.

 

Funny thing is more theatrical movies are shot 2:35 nowadays than are not, but there isn't a very noticeable difference in framing than if they shot 1:85. Directors don't seem to use the wide frame and get wider with more negative space and dynamic compositions with more area for your eye to wander. Instead they stick with lots of hand held close ups and generally tighter framing. It almost feels like they're only shooting 2:35 to counter television.

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Thanks Satsuki!

Great read! :)

 

Justin, I think that a lot of feature film directors nowadays want to get coverage rather than letting the composition and the actors work by itself, which is a pity!

 

Again, they have to answer to producers, who are the people who pay for the movie so maybe it is something that they can't do but would like to.

 

I remember when "close up" was synonym of "something really important that you have to pay attention to!", nowadays everything is close and close, which sometimes work and some other times don't.

 

Bela Tarr is a fantastic director to watch movies from.. he is a master of blocking and composition! :) But I have said that plenty of times on here! :D

 

Have a good day.

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Justin, I think that a lot of feature film directors nowadays want to get coverage rather than letting the composition and the actors work by itself, which is a pity!

 

 

For sure.

 

"The Turin Horse" is on iTunes. Gonna have to check that out on the projector. Thanks Miguel.

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You're more than welcome Justin!

 

Hopefully you like him! and then you can watch "Damnation" which is a masterclass of using spaces to narrate a story!

 

Have a good day!

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Thanks.. interesting article.. TBH personally I found the Mr Robot framing way too contrived.. hey wow look at my arty framing.. without it being part of or helping the story at all.. often the "rules" of framing are there for good reason.. also from the world of art.. or way further back when you think of the golden section ..they just look better.. if it part of the story/mood/scene.. to use un conventional framing Im all for it.. . but if not.. why do it.. I think it can detract from the story.. just my opinion of course..

 

Interesting to hear Robin, for me personally, I thought the framing on Mr. Robot worked perfectly. It just instantly communicated how disconnected Elliot is from the rest of the world, which really added to the experience I thought.

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well there you go.. one mans meat is another mans poison.. maybe Im just a bit old fashioned... Im all for "unusual" frames.. but some how that looking out of the wrong side of the frame I just really dont like.. sometimes I can see there is reason.. eg something going on on the other side of frame.. but there seemed to be too much in Mr Robot.. it seemed often they were just doing it for the sake of being "edgy and new".. seemed a bit contrived to me.. but obviously not to lot of other people.. maybe the mere fact that it bothered me is what they wanted .. one of the first films I really loved was Rumble Fish.. which alot of "unusual" framing.. its really that looking out the short side I somehow really dislike.. just a pet hate really .. tarnishing my view no doubt..!

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