ABSTRACT
Novice filmmakers are hesitant to trust the audience’s imagination and ability to connect the dots when covering the action. They tend to show complete actions instead of showing parts of an action from different shots and allowing audiences to infer the rest of the act. The camera tends to include more of the set’s entirety than necessary While the fear of confusing the audience is both palpable and understandable, fighting the urge to include too much in the frame will become demonstrably helpful. Camera placement/angle, the lens, the selective focus, the composition size, camera support, and camera movement all serve to highlight that one idea/purpose for the shot. When deciding on camera placement, break actions down into the essential beats/actions to more effectively direct the audience’s attention. Directing the audience’s attention to the essence of the shot over and over is successful cinematography.
