The Art of Perspective in Cinematography: One-Point Perspective, Symmetry, and the Golden Curve
Like many other modern artistic fields, the use of perspective and symmetry in filmmaking is not well-documented, despite the fact that perspective is crucial for the understanding cinematography. Since perspective was first developed for drawing and painting, centuries before filmmaking was invented, it is no surprise to us that not many people had developed this deeply established subject to include the new art forms that have arisen over the past century. Moreover, as a camera can faithfully reproduce images, it would that perspective learning materials are unnecessary.
Yet, today’s technology requires knowledge that focuses less on drawing methods and more on understanding what it means to see things from different perspectives. Hence, it is essential that professional in the visual arts like film directors can grasp how perspective works in order to present imagery effectively to the audience. Perspective, therefore, is a fundamental subject to study for filmmakers, even where imagery is captured by lenses instead of pens and papers.
With that in mind, this article introduces the 3 filmmakers whose works employ one-point perspective, symmetry, and the golden curve respectively to frame the action within a scene: Stanley Kubrick, Wes Anderson, and Paul Thomas Anderson. Knowing how the three revered filmmakers employ perspective in their scenes gives us substantial insights into the art of perspective in cinematography.
Stanley Kubrick and One-Point Perspective
Stanley Kubrick is well-known as a genius filmmaker and a master of film composition. He is famous for using composition to elicit psychological reactions and to place the audience in an uncomfortable state by his unique used of a compositional technique known as the “one-point perspective.”
In fact, one-point perspective can be constructed by placing the camera perspective directly opposite from the horizon line and vanishing point. Let’s look at an example of a scene that employs one-point-perspective in Kubrick’s famous film: The Shining.
The image above, Danny, the son, is riding his tricycle through the hall of the Overlook Hotel. This is the first one-point-perspective scene in the entire movie. Here, we are immediately drawn to the center of the scene marked by the big red dot, which is called the vanishing point. Here, the lines of the openings, marked by the yellow lines, all converge at the vanishing point. Because of this technique, the audience’s attention will be drawn to the center of the scene where the vanishing point lies. Moreover, if we look at the blue lines on the ceiling and on the sides are parallel to each other, which gives a flavor of symmetry and restrict the audience’s attention even more.
In fact, Kubrick’s films often deal with violence or subjects which demand a dramatic sincerity. By using one-point-perspective and symmetry in so many shots, Kubrick is able to amplify the seriousness of the material. Even if nothing is happening, fixing the audience’s focus on a particular point makes them wonder if something will happen, creating an environment of tension and anticipation.
Of course, Kubrick didn’t invent the one-point perspective technique. It is a technique that has been used in photography and the arts for centuries. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci’s famous “Last Supper” painting is one example, as the vanishing lines (yellow) run toward and vanish at the figure of Christ, which draws the viewer’s focus on Christ as the central subject. This is shown in the figure below.
Still, Kubrick is seen as the genius who has truly perfected the art of one-point perspective in a cinematic context. The following video from British Film Institute contributor and filmmaker Kogonada presents great evidence for Kubrick and one-point perspective.
The Geometric Perfection in Wes Anderson’s Films
Professor Louis Thonsgaard from the University of Aarhus has described symmetry as:
“…material being organized in such a way that it conveys a sense of unity through repetition of one or more elements.”
Wes Anderson is famous for using symmetry to frame his characters perfectly within them. In fact, in film schools, directors are taught to avoid symmetry as it feels stagey while an asymmetrically framed shot has a natural visual dynamism to it. Moreover, an asymmetrical shot makes for a more seamless edit to the next shot, especially the following shot is another asymmetrically framed shot. However, for Anderson’s, seeming stagey has never been one of his concerns, and he has developed his own quirky, easily identifiable visual style of symmetry.
In fact, Anderson adores the geometric precision of symmetry. Let’s look at the opening scene to Isle of Dogs. A crane (located centre of screen) drops a small package that lands at the centre of the scene, and a group of dogs pops up immediately behind it. Then, another group of dogs appears, also at the center of the screen, demonstrating the symmetry of both scenes.
Symmetry is inherently pleasing to the eye. Interesting, many studies have shown that a baby’s gaze will usually tend towards whomever’s face is the most symmetrical. However, as mentioned above, it’s also traditionally taboo for film directors because of the unnatural flavor of it. Still, Anderson has been successful in embracing the geometrical technique to create fascinating frames for his films.
Here, a video from Kogonada demonstrates that perfectly, placing a centered white line atop numerous shots from Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rushmore, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and others.
Paul Thomas Anderson and the Golden Curve
Paul Thomas Anderson also uses symmetry and perspective in his film, much like Kubrick and Anderson. In his films, the framing techniques and stylistic choices reflect well the development of the characters of the narrative. Here is another video essay on Vimeo that illustrates one of his famous film, There Will Be Blood, where symmetry and perspective are artfully employed.
Still, what’s interesting about Anderson’s film is that he uses a mixture of the golden ratio, one-point perspective, and symmetry to frame his films.
The Golden Ratio, sometimes called the Fibonacci Spiral, is the result of when you do some complex maths on a rectangle to the tune of: a/b = (a+b)/a = 1.61803398875. This is the case of the Golden Ratio: even if our idea of beauty has been noticeably modified, in particular after the aesthetic vanguards of the twentieth century, when we find a work, an object or a face that fits this instinctive, sensitive mathematical rule, we inexplicably consider it beautiful. One of the ways the golden ratio is applied during filming is by placing a shape called the Fibonacci spiral over the frame, as shown in the figure below.
By using a mixture of the golden ratio, one-point perspective, and symmetry to frame his films, Paul Thomas Anderson has set himself apart by approaching subjects that most people are uncomfortable with, and presents intense emotional ruptures that seek to translate this commotion to cinematic perspective.
Now, let’s look at another video essay of the same film, There will be blood, but with a focus on how Anderson uses a mixture of the golden ratio, one-point perspective, and symmetry.
From the above examples, it can see that perspectives and techniques related to perspective are crucially important in filmmaking, and it’s essential that professionals in the visual arts can grasp how to employ perspectives in their works. Perspective, indeed, is a fundamental subject to study for filmmakers, even where imagery is captured by lenses instead of pens and papers. One-point-perspective, symmetry, and the golden ratio, under the hands an adept directors, are powerful tools that can capture and drive the audience’s emotions in meaningful ways.
Reference:
https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/the-art-of-perspective-and-symmetry-in-cinematography/
https://prezi.com/rgbo9he_rch1/the-golden-ratio-cinematography/
https://petapixel.com/2016/10/24/golden-ratio-better-rule-thirds/
http://screenprism.com/insights/article/the-filmmakers-handbook-what-is-one-point-perspective
https://nofilmschool.com/2013/12/mathematical-breakdown-cinematography-there-will-be-blood
