Film Studies 1022 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Claustrophobia, Key Light, Signify

• School: Western University
• Department: Film Studies
• Course: Film Studies 1022
• Professor: Barbara Bruce

Document Summary

Blocking refers to the arrangement and movement of actors on the film set: filmmakers often use blocking to express the psychological and social relationships between characters. The edges of the image carry less intrinsic weight optically, so figures placed there can seem insignificant or marginalized. Open framing refers to compositions that situate the action depicted in the film within a broader context, suggesting that there is an outside to the. Framing that creates diagonal lines of composition emphasizes a scene"s anarchic, unsettled, or dynamic nature. Horizontal and vertical lines suggest order, balance, or stability. Off-screen space is the area outside the confines of the frame. Off-screen space often is a crucial component of visual composition, with characters pointing to, moving toward, or looking at something that is outside the frame. Filmmakers can use off-screen space to create mystery or to encourage viewers to use their imagination.