Chapter Two | The Art of Composition 29

What if we moved the head to the opposite side of the screen but kept the face and
eyes looking in the current direction (Figure 2.6)?

The look room for this framing is severely cut off on frame right and we have a large,
empty space on frame left. Our weighted objectsthe head and the voidstill exist,
but their placement just does not feel correct. The actors face is too close to the near
wall of the frame, making it look congested, claustrophobic, and trapped. Also, one
gets the sense that the empty space occupying the majority of frame left is crying out
to be lled with someone or something. That negative space behind the head can imply
negative feelings of suspense, dread, vulnerability, and so on and unless that is your
creative intention, it would be best to not frame the actor this way.

Our original example MCU with the head at the center of the frame is not wrong, mind
you; it is just not always as visually interesting to keep your objects of interest at the
center of the frame. That may work well for still photographic portraiture, but it lacks a
certain punch for motion picture imagery. You will become quite adept at placing impor-
tant objects on one side of the frame or the other over time. We will discuss the direc-
tion of the look room in more detail later in the text, but right now let us introduce you
to another rule or guideline that will help you place these objects within the frame.

Look Room

FIGURE 2.6 No look room creates a void crying out to be lled.