Week 6: Symmetry in Filmmaking

According to Merriam-Webster some of the synonyms for the word symmetry are: harmony, proportion, etc. Looking at the picture above, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the person in the middle (the drill sergeant). Then, I was able to see other parts of the pictures, connecting the dots on the relation between the person in the middle and other people, including the environment or activity I think they might be in.

I believe harmony is one of the best ways to discribe symmetry in one shot or a picture. Again, referring to the above picture, the arrangement of the people tells us a lot about what is going on, even without knowing the full story that is being depicted. Looking at the picture, I can tell that the person in the middle is the main focus of the shot. Then, the other people are somewhat in the shot to complete "the story". I don't know the story, but from what I see, I know the drill Sergeant is giving commands for others to follow. This catches the attention of viewers to the main character of the shot.

One important aspect of a shot is proportion. Not every shot is symmetrical. Some shots are asymmetric just to create suspense or to delay some of the key information in the movie. For example, in many films, especially in mystery movies, the villain is fully displayed towards the end. I like the suspense, the uncertainty of who might be the villain. Some shots, depicts the villain with a strange angle that only displays one part of their body. However, the villain is not always in the shadows: the film might be very well organized at the point that you will not be able to recognize the villain even when they are fully displayed.