Shot Composition and Framing, Making the Audience Feel Something
May 5 @ 7:45 pm – 10:15 pm
Session led by Owain Dain & Peter Leverick
How you frame a shot can completely change the way an audience feels about a scene. The same action can seem tense, dramatic, awkward, powerful, or uncertain, simply because of where the camera is placed and how the subject is composed within the frame.
This practical and interactive evening will explore how shot composition and framing affect meaning, mood, and the audience’s emotional response to what they are seeing.
A Practical Session On Visual Storytelling
This session will look at how filmmakers use framing to shape what the audience thinks and feels. We will experiment with simple examples such as making a scene feel dramatic, making one person look powerful, making someone appear confused, or making a character seem uncomfortable or exposed. Peter will also talk about some of the psychology behind these choices and why certain framings create particular reactions.
This will not be a dry theory session. The evening is designed to be hands on and discussion based, with members looking at framing choices in practice and exploring how small changes in camera position, lens choice, headroom, distance, and angle can alter the emotional meaning of a shot.
We will also break up the practical work with selected clips and examples from well known directors, looking at how they use composition to guide attention, suggest relationships, create pressure, or reveal something about a character without saying it directly.
This session should be useful for directors, camera operators, editors, and anyone who wants to become more visually intentional in the way they shoot. It is also ideal for newer members who want to understand why some images feel strong and cinematic, while others feel flat or unclear.
What To Expect
- Interactive discussion and practical framing exercises
- Examples of how framing changes emotion and meaning
- Selected clips showing how well known directors use composition
- A clearer understanding of the psychology behind visual choices
You do not need to bring any equipment for this one, just your interest in filmmaking and a willingness to get involved.
Non-members welcome for the evening (first two nights free as our guests) Here is how to find us
Date: Tuesday 5th May 2026
Time: 7:45 pm – 10:00 pm