What is Shot Composition?

We have made it to my favorite part of the course shot composition for cinematography feels good, hands down. The most important part about shooting great video is learning the rules of shot composition. Seriously, it is more important than the birth of your firstborn son. If you've taken my last course on photography, you'll know that I say that shot composition is the make it or break it between professionalism and amateur hour. You can have all the fanciest gadgets and equipment in the world for shooting. Awesome video and you could still shoot like your great Aunt Marg with a razor flip phone. So what is shot composition? Well, in order to know that, we have to know what is a shot. And a shot is just a frame that's arranged with objects and shapes that are used to make up a composition. So shot composition is just arranging that frame with these objects and shapes with purpose. You have to shoot with purpose if you want to be a good cinematographer. So in these next sections, we're going to be talking about perspective and vantage point and 180 degree rule and leader and headroom room and all of these things. And we're going to be talking about how you can use all these to help tell a story in your cinematography. Trust me, this is material you do not want to miss. It is extremely valuable. Pay attention. Enjoy it. I'm going to make it fun. Feeling good. This is a good section. Let's do it.