ABSTRACT
The frame defines what we see and hear. It also defines what is implied beyond what we see and hear. By putting a frame around something, by including it within a frame, we call it art. We carve out a rectangle of reality (or fantasy) and claim it for ourselves as media makers. The word frame can have many meanings-from the slats of wood we place around the edges of a painting to the single exposure on a strip of photographic film to falsifying the evidence that unjustly sends someone to jail. All of these meanings, however, include the idea of defining or shaping a certain reality. It is the crux of what we do as media makers. Understanding the power of the frame and the aesthetic principles at work within the frame are key to effective visual and aural storytelling.
