Behind the Scenes

Composing a shot is much more than just deciding if it should be a close up or a medium shot. The way a project is photographed makes a huge impact on how it is interpreted. Imagine, The Blair Witch Project being shot in any other style but handheld. It would have been much less effective.

When a project is shot, the director of photograghy (DP) must have a strong sense of how something will be cut together. It is the shooter's responsiblity to give the editor everything necessary to work with. An experienced photographor will not only shoot what needs to be shot in order to tell the story, but also enough extra to give the editor freedom to try things in the editing room.

The DP also must have a strong sense of story. The photographer must understand the messageof the film to effectively shoot a project. Proper composition of a shot needs to not only make sense in context of the story, but also add to the meaning.