Understanding Screen Direction The ABCs of the XY

Understanding Screen Direction The ABCs of the XY and Z

Static Image and Motion Ü Like a painting, frame of image really important Ü Unlike a painting, composition continually changes, creating both a challenge and an opportunity Ü Gives us 2 important story elements: Ü Screen direction Ü Comparison

Screen Direction Ü Refers to the direction a character or object is traveling Ü 3 axes: o X-Axis: Line that cuts the frame horizontally o Objects run Left to Right or Right to Left o Y-Axis: Line that cuts the frame vertically o Objects run up or down-top of frame to bottom or bottom to top o Z-Axis: Line that runs from foreground to background or background to foreground o Gives the audience sense of 3 -D space

Representation Ü Screen Direction can represent (for example): Ü Antagonism Ü Individualism Ü Conflict Ü Partnership Ü Moving frame can represent (for example): Ü Change Ü Similarity/Dissimilarity

2 Dimensional Screen Direction Ascent: Difficult Y-Axis Right to Left: Uncomfortable X-Axis Left to Right: Comfortable X-Axis Descent: Easy

X and Y Axes Ü X-Axis: Ü Eye moves comfortable from Left to Right because it mimics reading Ü The eye is less experienced moving the opposite direction and is therefore less comfortable Ü Y-Axis: Ü Moving an object down the screen appears easy as it is aided by our sense of gravity. Ü Moving an object up the screen appears difficult because it is assumed that it will be resisted by gravity

3 Dimensional Screen Direction Smaller Z- Axi s Larger

Z-Axis Ü When an object moves along the Z-Axis, the object appears to move in 3 -D space moving from front to back or back to front. Ü Image size will change depending on where the object appears on the trajectory and the lens used