Digital SLR Video and Filmmaking For Dummies

9

Reigning in the Frame

In This Chapter

Composing shots effectively

Arranging elements in the scene

Understanding shot types

Moving the camera

Speaking a visual language

Maybe you wanna be Tim Burton. Or perhaps Hitchcock hits your cinematic nerve. Both have unique signatures in telling their stories.

And that’s the ultimate goal, isn’t it? Not imitating great directors, but eventually becoming one too. But this “cinematic touch” doesn’t come with just education: You also have to constantly experiment with the visual part of storytelling.

Great filmmakers have a distinct style that goes beyond letting dialogue and a few props tell the story. Instead, they opt to communicate with the viewer on a more visual level — one that the viewer understands simply by watching.

Effective moviemaking technique is not born overnight. The great film auteurs developed their styles over a long period ...