{"id":67181,"date":"2015-11-23T10:59:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T16:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=67181"},"modified":"2016-05-03T11:59:33","modified_gmt":"2016-05-03T16:59:33","slug":"cinematography-tip-creating-the-illusion-of-scale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/cinematography-tip-creating-the-illusion-of-scale\/","title":{"rendered":"Cinematography Tip: Creating the Illusion of Scale"},"content":{"rendered":"

Illustrating a sense of scale is something that filmmakers still often have difficulty with today. These resources and cinematography tips should give you a better understanding of how to magnify your subjects.<\/h2>\n

Top Image: GoldenEye<\/a> miniature set via MGM<\/em><\/p>\n

In\u00a0this day and age, there are numerous ways, both practical and digital, to exaggerate scale and fool the audience into seeing something as larger than life. Whether you’re simply emphasizing the size of something truly massive, or making something tiny appear large, these resources and cinematography tips can give filmmakers a better understanding of how to illustrate a sense of scale.<\/p>\n

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Shot Composition<\/h3>\n

\"Cinematography<\/a>
\nImage from Walt\u00a0Disney Studios<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The simplest thing you can do to make your subject feel large is to shoot it from a low angle, pointed somewhat upwards at the subject.<\/strong> By providing the illusion of looking up at something, low-angle shots convey a sense of power and greatness in a scene, which is why\u00a0you’ll notice that characters who “hold the power” of the moment are generally shot\u00a0from a lower angle than others. In this same vein, point of view shots from the perspective of someone can give insight into how characters are experiencing the situation.<\/p>\n

The introductory shot to\u00a0Star Wars<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>is an iconic example of this technique, with the clearly enormous Star Destroyer framed above not only the smaller ship, its prey, but also above the nearby planets, implying true grandness. It also takes up more of the frame\u00a0than anything else, signifying the scale and reach of the Empire itself. As you can see, hyperbolizing the scale of\u00a0specific objects can often hint to larger ideas within a story.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By deliberately keeping some of the subject out of the frame, you can give the impression that it is simply too big to be seen all at once. This also feels a bit spatially intrusive, and therefore intimidating, by occupying most of your vision to the point of breaking its borders.
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Forced Perspective<\/h3>\n