Aspect Ratio and the Shot

A medium, slightly canted shot of our office lovebirds.

This post will discuss aspect ratio and different types of shots used in our commercial.

Aspect ratio refers to the width and height of a frame. This commercial was shot at a ratio of 1:85:1, currently the standard Academy ratio. A commercial meant to air on television as opposed to in a theater doesn't require anything beyond this standard.

Our commercial features several different distances for shots:

• medium - characters from waist up (e.g. office closet couple)
• medium long - characters from knees up (e.g. opening shot)
• long - figures are prominent but background dominates (e.g. couple on cough)

The focus and depth of field are very selective, in order to give attention to gestures and expressions of the characters. Long shots practice great depth of field to give context to the entire frame, while the medium shots use shallow depth of field to separate elements that may cause the audience to lose focus of key elements of the scene.

The PSA utilizes mostly a straight-on angle, but our couple in the broken bed appear to be shot at a slightly low angle. The couple in the car are shot at a high angle.

The frame can also be moved in varying degrees of how level it is--whether it is parallel to the horizon line. With our supply closet scene, the couple enters with a slightly canted shot--tipping the camera to the right to mimick the angled motion of the man and woman--then cuts to a straight-on angle. Overall, the PSA is shot with a balanced level to create a comfortable space for the audience.

With mobile framing, our camera moves during the shot. In our opening scene, we see the camera travel to duplicate the motion of the man's fall to the ground--this is called a tracking shot. We see the same again when the couple enters the supply closet, then backs out again. Any motion from the camera, however, is done at a rate that we as the audience can perceive in reality.

The framing relies on strong vertical elements at the edge of each frame to maintain the viewer’s eye within the frame and employs expectations of narration through movement and gestures. It could perhaps even be argued as a subtle form of masking to shape and conceal the scene.

The shots themselves do not suggest any offscreen narration. Everything the audience is meant to know is viewed onscreen, helping the communicative impact to Bedsider's intentions.  

BELOW: 
Please Me Aesthetically's video on Aspect Ratio and the Shot