The Rule of Thirds

So you've got your shot types, your camera movement sorted at to a professional standard (we wish), now we move onto a golden rule....THE RULE OF THIRDS. 

The rule of thirds is really simple to understand. You take a picture...like this and split it into three rows vertically and three rows horizontally, like so.

Now our eyes are trained to read from left to right (Unless you're Arabic, Hebrew etc...), so the same applies when looking at a picture or film shot. 

WARNING! It is NEVER a good idea to put an object in the middle of a shot or picture. Its a fatal error that many of us follow. Our eyes never look to the middle first making the object in the middle not as important as you may want it to be. So its just a no no in the world of film and photography UNLESS you have a reason for it, like...I don't know, trickery? 

Anyway by making the subject in the shot off center and in one of the outer thirds, the image becomes more appealing and important to its audience.

So recap:

Rule of thirds pictures SHOULD look like this...              NOT like this.....














If you follow these rules you're on your way to the perfect film!