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Monday, 20 April 2020

Blocking

Blocking 
Blocking can be defined as the precise staging of actors in a film or performance, and can entirely change the feel of a scene and create visual dynamic. In cinematography, blocking refers to where actors are placed in the frame in a scene. There are three basic shapes for film blocking - space, shapes, and lines.

Space refers the distance between characters in a scene. The distance a character is from the camera can determine what level of importance they uphold. Character's closer to the camera tend to be seen as more imposing. The three basic shapes - triangles, squares, and circles - all create a different assumption about a character. Anything can be turned into one of these shapes, including a character's face, the props in a scene, or the space they are in. Circles create a inclusive and safe atmosphere. Squares create limited space, closing or boxing someone into a smaller area. Triangles can make a scene sharper or more aggressive. Shapes dictate where the audience's eye travels to when watching a scene. Using lines in a scene creates tension and imbalance between characters in a scene, and also emphasises who in a scene holds the most power.

Blocking can help with both revealing subtext (the hidden message in a scene) and contrast.

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