Cinematic Term: Rule of Thirds (Star Wars: Ep. 4 A New Hope example)

A film term that some new film students find hard to grasp is the Rule of Thirds.  If you've never heard of this before, don't be surprised.  It's more of a guideline than a rule, and actually more of a best practice than a guideline!  So when a young film student asks me just what is this Rule of Thirds and how does it affect the composition of a film shot, this is what I say (or post, as the case may be).

What is the Rule of Thirds?  This is a good question.  When trying to transfer their vision to the screen, filmmakers have to decide what is the best way to film their movie.  They have to be sure to pay great attention to the look of the film.  Sets and scenery notwithstanding, the composition and framing of shots are very important.  When discussing framing, inevitably the Rule of Thirds comes up.  This is not an actual filmmaker's rule, but more of a universally accepted guideline to ensure balance is established within the frame.  To accomplish this, cinematographers try to imagine two equally-spaced vertical lines and two equally-spaced horizontal lines that in effect divide the image frame into nine equal parts.  Now, important film elements should be placed either along these lines or at their intersection points.

    

A good example of a use of this rule is from my favorite film, Stars Wars (dir. George Lucas, 1977).  At one particular point in the film, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is seen in a long shot.  He stands on a small sand dune staring out at Tatooine's two suns as they begin to set.  If you take the shot and apply the gridlines you will find that the right vertical line positions itself just along Luke’s side.  The horizontal lines capture Luke's image in between them.  One of the setting suns is captured straddling the top horizontal line with the other just below.  This was not done by coincidence.  This shot was meticulously framed so that the image of Luke at dusk was balanced for greater effect.  The viewer is unconsciously drawn to the grid intersections.  In framing the image in this way, the long shot calls to mind a feeling of yearning and remoteness, a feeling Luke has that there is something greater out there for him.  As his Aunt Beru (Shelagh Fraser) remarked, "he can't stay here forever, most of his friends have gone","Luke's just not a farmer, Owen.  He has too much of his father in him."