Cinematic Film Composition — Roger Deakins on Blocking, Staging & Composition in Cinematography

Roger Deakins on Film Composition and the elements involved: blocking/staging, lighting, lenses, framing and more. Roger Deakins Movies Ranked ►► https://bit.ly/rd-co Create your FREE Shot List ►► https://bit.ly/sb-shl ───────────────────── Special thanks to: The Team Deakins podcast ►► http://bit.ly/td-pc ───────────────────── Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:25 - Technique 1 - Blocking and Staging 02:47 - Technique 2 - Framing 05:45 - Technique 3 - Study Photos 06:38 - The Final Thoughts of Deakins ───────────────────── Film composition, or composition in film, is a rather complicated concept when you realize just how much is involved. As Roger Deakins explains in this episode of Cinematography Techniques, blocking & staging, lighting, lenses, framing and more are all part and parcel of cinematic composition. First, Deakins explains the unique challenge he and director Sam Mendes set before themselves in 1917. The decision to make the film appear as a single shot means that rules around composition, blocking & staging, and standard coverage required creative problem-solving. For example, in an early bunker scene, the entire blocking and staging of the actors and camera had to be reworked to ensure that the camera was always focused on the most important subject(s) at any given time. And, so, a second table was brought in and the choreography was adjusted to maintain their “single-shot goal” while keeping the framing and composition active and meaningful. In a film like Kundun, Deakins explains how director Martin Scorsese wanted symmetrical, proscenium framing to support the film’s themes around Buddhism and the power held by the boy leader. Whereas this formal elegance would be antithetical to the grounded and chaotic world of war in Jarhead. Here, handheld cameras help create a purposefully inconsistent cinematic composition. Film composition follows similar standards as photography composition and this is where Roger Deakins first learned about them. By studying the location, the lighting, deciding on a lens, where you place the camera, all of these decisions combine when deciding on composition. #FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking ───────────────────── VIDEO EDITOR: BRANDON SCULLION ───────────────────── ♬ SONGS USED: “Faded” - Red Licorice “Engländer” - Thomas Newman, 1917 Score “Milk” - Thomas Newman, 1917 Score “Gehenna” - Thomas Newman, 1917 Score “Blood Trails” - Carter Burwell, No Country For Old Men Score “His Judgment Cometh” - Thomas Newman, The Shawshank Redemption Score “Swingset” - Red Licorice “Listen Up” - Thomas Newman, Jarhead Score “Rock Hammer” - Thomas Newman, The Shawshank Redemption Score “And That Right Soon” - Thomas Newman, The Shawshank Redemption Score Music by Artlist ► http://bit.ly/2Ttdh8d Music by Soundstripe ► http://bit.ly/2IXwomF Music by Music Vine ► http://bit.ly/2IUE0pT Music by MusicBed ► http://bit.ly/2Fnz9Zq ───────────────────── SUBSCRIBE to StudioBinder’s YouTube channel! ►► http://bit.ly/2hksYO0 Looking for a project management platform for your filmmaking? StudioBinder is an intuitive project management solution for video creatives; create shooting schedules, breakdowns, production calendars, shot lists, storyboards, call sheets and more. Try StudioBinder for FREE today: https://studiobinder.com/pricing — Join us on Social Media! — Instagram ►►   / studiobinder   Facebook ►►   / studiobinderapp   Twitter ►►   / studiobinder