Rules of Shot Composition: How Nightcrawler Creates Empathy with Eyes #antiheroexamples

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Using Rules of Composition to Create Empathy with Eyes ►►

In today’s video, we’re going to talk about the effect you gain from showing or hiding the eyes of a character, and how your shot selection the rules of composition can help you to build empathy for an anti-hero.

A character’s eyes are one of the first things we connect with as a viewer. The more exposed they are, the more we see them as human. The more hidden they are, the more we ignore their humanity.

In short, a character’s eyes are the window to the soul.

When filmmakers want someone to see something, they align the subject or object so that it rests on an area of the frame where vectors cross. These vectors are most commonly cut into “thirds” hence the name the rule of thirds or rules of composition.

If your goal is to show the eyes of your character so that your visuals may build empathy, it makes sense to have those eyes land in line with the rules of composition.

Great filmmakers know that their shot composition is one of the most important parts of filmmaking, and it doesn’t change for the eyes. This is a deep psychological truth that goes beyond film and television, but what is so great about video compared to a stage play is that we can actually see the actor’s eyes.

You can use film lighting techniques, your costume department, film blocking, shot composition, and the rules of composition to show or hide the eyes of your characters, and in turn, choose how the viewer will absorb the energy of your characters.

We use Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler and Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom to show how filmmaking techniques and actor performance can shape your view of a character.

In this video on Nightcrawler, we’ll go over:
- Shot selection to show or hide the eyes
- Film lighting to show or hide the eyes
- Presentation of the eyes

When you finish, you will see how Dan Gilroy wanted to present Lou in as neutrally as possible, and how he kept the eyes of Lou Blooms as part of the fabric of his film.

The end result: You will know when to hide, and when to show a character's eyes.

#shotcomposition #bestnightcrawlerscenes #jakegyllenhaalnightcrawler

Music by Soundstripe:

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