Abby Galloway
In preparation for my Art Theory In Context essay, we studied the main sectors that make up art theory to get a better understanding of these concepts. Another thing we did in preparation for the essay was write up our understanding of composition within different examples to see the areas we need to improve on in our writing, before the essay is submitted. Here are my examples in this compositional task, these examples taken from Fine Art and film.
Stańczyk by Jan Matejko, 1862
Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sta%C5%84czyk_(painting)
Composition is used in this piece mainly through the Rule of Thirds. This is used to draw attention to the centre of the screen; where the fool is sat. It also uses this together with vertical lines to draw attention to the background. Vertical lines are used in this case to show separation between the fool and the other people in the painting. This is done by the artist to convey the story that the painting is trying to tell, showing the main focus of the painting being the fool himself, but that the gathering in the background is also relevant to the story.
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson, 2014
The Rule Of Thirds is commonly used in not only The Grand Budapest Hotel; but also in the majority of Wes Anderson movies. Wes Anderson directs his movies in a way which they always have a satisfying feel; mainly by using the Rule Of Thirds, specifically in this movie. He does this by always keeping the focal point clear, mostly in the front or mid centre of scenes, whilst using minor objects on the sidelines to also gather attention for the eyes to meet. This paired with the colouring schemes of the scenes make the focal point even more understandable. Another strong feature within his movies is his scenes tend to be one longer shot at the same position/angle, meaning it gives time for the audience to take in the whole scene.
Furthermore, another strong compositional technique used in this scene specifically is symmetry. Symmetry is used in this shot even when unnecessary to make easy on the eyes; to retain the audience’s focus whilst the character included in the scene speaks. In movies by Wes Anderson (including this one), a lot of the speech and overall story being told can be quite difficult to understand and take in, making the composition of these scenes an incredibly smart decision by the director to ensure the audience is able to retain the information in an easier way, by putting less strain on the eyes.
Other sources used: https://papierhuis.com/2017/06/23/movie-madness-the-grand-budapest-hotel/
Abby Galloway Games Design 