Perspective & Framing

I believe film is all about perspective, whether it's the character's, the audience's, the director's, or all three.  It is, simply, what one chooses to include within the frame, as well as what one chooses to exclude.  Everything seen within the frame is important, each object and shadow contributing a detail that should lend itself to the whole of the story.

This scene by P. T. Anderson, found in Punch Drunk Love, tells so much about the character in the simple evolution of the scene's framing.

To me, it is about allowing the natural lines of the location or set design to guide the camera, drawing the eye into an organic frame.  Barry Lyndon

The background and foreground elements in these three photos play with perspective.

It is about placing the character into the frame, seeing what he sees, and allowing the viewer to become immersed in that experience in a way that would normally not be.

Even a close up can contribute to the visual depth of the location.

Abnormal perspectives, like this one from In the Mood for Love, draw attention to the story by hiding key elements of action.  In the Mood for Love

Foremost, framing is about the emotional value of its contents.  In this scene from Amelie, the bear is Amelie's imagination, and her imagination is her world.  Therefore, the bear looms in the foreground.  Amelie

Cinematography is personal.  It is a creative choice, and it's about what catches your eye.

Foreground elements can often tell a story for themselves.  Central Station

Finally, cinematography should be a stylistic choice, setting the mood for the entire film.  If it is consistent, it can create a powerful sense of place, evoking the soul of the story and allowing the characters to interact with their surroundings within the frame, and truly come alive.

Symmetry and texture, depth and shape, depth of field and focal length--every detail tells the story.