Anyone can record a video. But if you want to tell a story and captivate your audience, that requires understanding the rules of composition.
The term “rule of thirds” was coined by a painter in the 18th century named John Thomas Smith. Since then, this rule has become a guideline for framing moving and static images. It’s now one of the main composition techniques every videographer, cinematographer, and photographer knows.
If you feel a little out of the loop, don’t worry. This guide will explain the rule of thirds, complete with examples, so you can start using it to create stunning films.
What is the rule of thirds?
The rule of thirds involves mentally creating equally spaced vertical and horizontal lines on a potential shot or image, then placing points of interest on this grid's lines and intersection points. The theory is that the filming style will create more pleasing visuals to the viewer’s eye.
Why is the rule of thirds important?
When filmmaking or engaging in any visual art, composition allows you to tell an entire story with one picture. You know the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Mastering video composition is how you create that thousand-word story.
The idea behind the rule of thirds is that putting the main subject dead center in the frame makes images feel unnatural. Placing subjects off-center allows viewers to interact with the negative space in a picture. It also allows people to interpret the relationship of an image's subject with the background, thereby making a more interesting image overall.
Consider one of the most captivating paintings of all time, the Mona Lisa. Its creator, Leonardo da Vinci, used the rule of thirds by placing Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile exactly two-thirds up the painting.
How to apply the rule of thirds in film
The rule of thirds is fairly simple for static shots, but it gets more complicated when dealing with moving pictures in film production. Since there's movement, you need to consider how a subject moves across and through the frame using camera angles and depth of field. Here's a step-by-step guide for using the rule of thirds in film.
1. Imagine the grid
First, imagine the horizontal and vertical lines of your rule of thirds grid. Most modern cameras already have grid line overlays (or the option for them) set up in the viewfinder.
2. Place key elements
Next, place the most important subject on the lines and nodes (intersections) of the grid you just created. Remember how you want your shot's focus to move through your frame.
For example, in the 2021 movie Dune, Denis Villeneuve draws the viewer’s eye to the top third of the grid where the emperor’s entourage disembarked from their ship. He slowly pans down as the emperor’s messenger progresses down the carpet, keeping them in the top one-third of the shot.
3. Use balance and leading lines
Balance (or imbalance) helps draw your audience's eyes to different parts of the screen. It's also an excellent technique to show power dynamics or reveal characters' personality traits.
In the same Dune scene, Villeneuve creates balance by making the right and left of the frame almost perfectly symmetrical. He also uses the carpet as leading lines to further direct the viewer's eye, making the focal point of the shot the emperor's messenger.
4. Maintain proportions
Proportions keep things in frame, similar to how they'd appear in real life. For the most part, you'll want to position the horizon line of your shots either in the top third or the bottom third of the frame. But when filming people, you'll want to keep their eyeline in the top third of the frame, leaving open space in the direction they're looking.
5. Experiment
The best way to master the rule of thirds is to experiment. Try shooting the same scene multiple times and frame the shot differently every time—first using the rule of thirds, then placing your subject in the center of the frame. You’ll experience how the rule of thirds makes films more interesting to watch.
Scenes that break the rule of thirds
The rule of thirds is just a guideline. While it will help you tell stories more effectively, don't be afraid to break this rule if it makes the shot look better.
Action scenes
Movie directors tend to break the rule of thirds when there’s a lot of action in a particular scene because fast cuts make it harder to keep subjects lined up with gridlines.
The action will also naturally draw the audience’s eye, so it’s more important to fully capture the movement—like here in Luc Besson’s District B13, where he has the action happening smack dab in the middle of the frame.
Large or overwhelming subjects
It's common to break the rule of thirds when showing something large or an overwhelming force. Here in Dune, this shot of the emperor's elite soldiers, the Sardakur, gives the audience a sense of how many there are and how controlled and disciplined this force is.
Extreme close ups
Extreme close ups are another reason to break the rule of thirds. In Little Miss Sunshine, there’s an extreme close up of Olive as she watches the TV, showing a reflection of what’s on the TV on her glasses. The close up makes the audience feel like they’re getting inside Olive’s mind as she begins to become affected by societal standards of beauty.
Examples of the rule of thirds in cinematography
Look at any movie, and you’ll see the rule of thirds in action. From indie filmmakers to Hollywood directors, editors will intercut shots that follow and break the rules to make the audience feel different emotions.
Here are a few examples of the rule of thirds from award-winning video productions.
The Shining (1980)
In the classic “Here’s Johnny” scene in The Shining, director Kubrick uses the rule of thirds even during a closeup of Jack Nicholson’s face. This draws our gaze to both his craze-filled eyes and maniacal grin, striking fear into the hearts of the audience.
Kubrick also breaks the rule of thirds in this film. He purposely frames a lot of his shots so everything is symmetrical—too symmetrical so that it feels unnatural to the audience. That acts as foreshadowing to show that something supernatural is happening in this hotel, which unconsciously puts the viewers on edge before anything even happens.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
In this scene from Lawrence of Arabia, Peter O'Toole and his guide steal a drink from Sherif Ali's well. The rule of thirds is used to show the vastness of the desert and the distant relationship and mistrust between Peter O'Toole and the guide.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The famous “Blue Danube” scene has ships floating and spinning through space on either the right or left third of the screen. That way, they can 'dance' across the frame. This shows the audience the beauty of space and gives them a false sense of serenity.
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Scarlett O'Hara is placed at the bottom third of the screen as the shot zooms out in this iconic Gone with the Wind scene. This shot mirrors one earlier in the movie where she stood on this hill with her father as they overlooked the richness of everything they possessed. But now it shows she's a single woman pitted against heaven and the world. It also shows her standing strong and centered, signifying her determination.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The diner scene in Pulp Fiction uses the rule of thirds to create tension. It keeps the audience's eyes switching between each character. Even though it's only four points of interest, it feels like a lot is happening in this scene. This causes us to feel frantic as we take it all in, and makes us feel like Jules is talking to us when he tells Yolanda to stay cool.
The Revenant (2015)
When Hugh Glass tells Andrew Henry that he’s going back out into the wilderness after almost dying, his eyes are framed on the right third of the screen, looking out into the no-man’s land he came from. This framing shows that he has nothing to look forward to.
Master video editing with Descript
Shot composition is important to any type of storytelling. The rule of thirds will help you create scenes that look more natural and pleasing to the eye. But to really master this concept, you’ll need to practice.
Descript not only has a suite of video editing tools to help you practice filmmaking, but it also has audio editing features to create fully-produced, professional-quality films.
You can:
- Add visual effects—even keyframe animation
- Edit from the automated transcript, making video production as easy as editing text
- Safeguard your original files thanks to non-destructive editing
- Use AI voices to fix audio mistakes by simply changing the text of the audio transcript
- Export and save your projects with the format and dimensions you want
Descript even offers a free version, so you don’t have to wait to start practicing composition and mastering the rule of thirds.
Rule of thirds FAQs
What is the rule of thirds in filming interviews?
The rule of thirds is helpful in knowing how to frame the interviewee when filming an interview. For off-camera interviews, frame the person talking with their eyeline at one of the top third nodes looking toward the opposite node.
Why might you break the rule of thirds in film?
In general, the rule of thirds is just a guideline, so if breaking this guideline serves the story of a film, that’s when you will break this rule. A couple of examples include action sequences and extreme closeups.
What effect does the rule of thirds have?
Using the rule of thirds allows you to draw the audience’s eye toward the points of interest you want them to focus on. It makes an image more pleasing and is a helpful tool in telling your narrative.
