Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds:

Today, I started to learn about the rules of thirds. Some background information about the rules are that it helps creators of a visual media to make things ascetic as possible through symmetry and tracking where the eyes naturally follow through hot spots. When used in film this can portray feelings and help to focus the scene. When using this rule your job is to align or be near the lines and interceptions points. 

Examples of the rules in film:

Still image from, Doctor Who Season 3 Episode 10 June 9th 2007

This still that I took from a show has so much conflict built into it. The center focus is the girl and the statue of an angel reaching out towards her. The positioning of this shot creates a sense of tension like somethings going to go wrong. The girl's eyes are on the top line at a hot spot. To focus on her worrying eyes. Looking around she is looking around every were but behind her. Away from the statue. The statues hand intersects one of the vertical lines of the line make your eyes drawn to it. The girl body takes up the majority of the center of the two vertices which is called neutral space and when film and art have something occupying this space and the two lines it creates Tension and conflict. However, the girl is not the main form of conflict. The statue takes up purely neutral space. But the angle is blurred except the hand, the lurking hand, is going to the girl's direction. This along with the tension from earlier creates dread and feels like she is going to get attacked. 

Examples without rules of thirds

Picture A without the "Rule of Thirds"

Picture B with the "Rule of Thirds"

Even though one picture is zoomed in, and the other is not, dose not determine if they applied the rule of thirds. The zoomed in picture or Picture B has a horizon line that matches with the bottom horizontal line and matches with the pier. Compared to Picture A the pier is in the middle, not near or on the horizontal lines and no hot spot areas either.

The one figure Test: With Lego!

This Picture Is a representation of how not to follow the rule of thirds. The focus is none-existent your eyes look centered, and the figures are not there.

This is ultimately better for the rule of third. The hand is on the lower horizontal line, and the head is on a hot spot. It is over all more noticeable. Since your eyes are naturally drawn to the Lego now the posing dose everything else.

The two figure Test: With Lego!

a.) The one that dose not follow "Rule Of Thirds."

b.) The one the has neutral space in "Rule Of Thirds."

c.) The one that suggest attraction in "Rule Of Thirds."

d.) The one that suggest conflict in "Rule Of Thirds."

Written analysis of "The two figure Test: With Lego!":

The Picture: b, c, d are all a continues story and do not even need words. Let's focus on picture c. Specifically, the two Lego figures let's say their names are John and Mary. At b they are in neutral state looks like they just met and does not know what's going to happen it creates suspense. In the next still(c), they take up the neutral vertical spot or in other words the middle of the screen. When character is both in the neutral space, they are close to some form of tension or conflict. The tension in forms of media is released through ether an argument, fight or romance. The situation that happened was romance. They embrace looking like they are dancing or kissing a touching moment of any normal story. But, in d she gets push and falls this creates conflict because of the framing he in her space not the other way around this was purposeful.