Every Frame A Painting Shows Why Ensemble Staging Is A Lost Art In Film

Tony Zhou is back with a new episode of Every Frame A Painting, this time looking at how directors can use ensemble staging to their advantage when it comes to conveying the story in a scene.

He contrasts this with some of the current trends in directing, which often requires lots of cuts and closeups. This is something that he’s pointed out before in earlier videos, and it’s great to see him take a closer look into this.

Here’s his list of ways to get the audience to look at something in the frame:

1. Let Them Speak
   
2. Make Them Brighter or Bring Them Closer
   
3. Let Them Move (Especially Hands or Eyes)
   
4. Put Them in the Center of Frame
   
5. Turn Them Towards the Lens
   
6. Separate Them from the Group
   
7. Isolate Them by Moving the Camera
   
8. Have Other People Look at Them
   

[Every Frame A Painting]