The Rule Of Thirds

In image composition the 'rule of thirds' is a technique used to make the image or shot more energetic or interesting. When capturing an image we can think of the viewfinder being divided into three equal parts, both horizontally and vertically. Each section of this imaginary grid should contain some information relating to the subject. The four points where the lines intersect are areas of intensity within the composition. Here is a visual representation of the imaginary grid:

I have created a short video to demonstrate the rule of thirds; it contains three different shots which I believe make use of this technique. Here is the video which contains a piece of music called Clair De Lune by Claude Debussy:



In the first and third shots I have used the rule of thirds to highlight the shape of the houses; this makes the houses the focus of the shot rather than the surrounding landscape or sky. In the second shot I have used this technique to highlight the position of the clock and the edge of the plant within the composition.

I will experiment with this idea further when working on future animations and films.