Camera Framing
A couple different concepts go into framing your shot.
And it really doesn't matter the order by which you do it--but both are equally important.
CAMERA ANGLE: Your shot angle is the level from which you look at your subject.
Eye-level angle (EL) - One of the most commonly used shots is the eye-level shot.
Why? Because it's the perspective most familiar to us - we usually see things from our own eye-level. This angle also causes the least discomfort because we're used to it. If you're shooting a person, make sure you shoot at their eye-level, not yours.
Low Angle (LA) - In this shot, the camera looks up at the subject, making it seem important, powerful, or perhaps larger than it is to the viewer. For example, you might be sitting on the ground looking up at someone who is standing.
High Angle (HA) - In this shot, the camera looks down on the subject, decreasing its importance. The subject looks smaller. It often gives the audience a sense of power, or the subject a sense of helplessness. In this case, you'd be higher than the other person (maybe they're sitting, or maybe you're standing on a desk) looking down on that person.
Bird’s Eye (BE) -The scene is shown from directly above. This is a completely different and somewhat unnatural point of view, which can be used for dramatic effect or for showing a different spatial perspective. In drama it can be used to show the positions and motions of different characters and objects, enabling the viewer to see things the characters can't. The bird's-eye view is also very useful in sports, documentaries, etc.
CAMERA FRAME: Rule of Thirds - this classic rule suggests that the center of the camera's attention is one-third of the way down from the top of the shot.
For the rule of thirds, imaginary lines are drawn dividing the image into thirds. The most important elements are placed where these lines intersect. In addition to using the intersections, it also helps to use a 2 to 1 ratio (thus dividing the image both horizontally and vertically into thirds) so that nothing is dead center, which makes for a static image. Instead, when placing the horizon line of a landscape, or the eye line of a person, use the lower or upper third as an approximate guide.
Headroom - A term used with shots of people. This refers to the space above the subject's head. You'll see different amounts of headroom, depending on the intent of the creator of the video. In general, if you're standing right in front of someone, you'll see that they have space all around them - they aren't cut off by a frame. By leaving headroom, or space beside them, you are imitating what you see in real life.
Talking/Walking or Leadroom Room - If you are interviewing someone or have video of someone talking, you generally do not want them looking directly at the camera (again, it depends on your goals - certain situations may call for that). Generally, you want the person to be looking off to the left or right of the camera a bit. When you do this, frame your shot so that there is some talking room. That is, you want to leave some extra space in front of their face as if you were going to draw a dialogue box in for them. This space is "talking room." If the person is talking to another person, this shows space between them. Walking room, if the person in motion, gives them space to walk to. Talking/Walking Room leaves space in the shot for the action, whether it be words or movement.
