The rule of thirds refers to dividing an image frame into thirds with imaginary lines, both horizontally and vertically, creating 9 sections. The focal point of the image should fall at the intersection of these lines or along the lines. For interviews in documentaries, the subject should be placed along one of the vertical lines with their face falling in the upper left or right section. While the interviewer stands off camera facing the subject, they will take up around two thirds of the frame similar to over-the-shoulder shots.

1. Rule of Thirds
By Alice Lupton

2. The rule of thirds refers to imaginary guidelines when framing your
camera lens. The idea is to mentally divide the screen up into 9 squares, or
rectangles depending on your frame, by using two equally spaced
horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. Where these lines
cross over, they’ll create 4 cross-sectional points and this is where the
focal point is. This means that this is where the eye is naturally drawn to
when looking at an overall image. Therefore, when you take a photo, or
want to film, your subject should fall onto one of the cross-section points
or along one of the lines. For example if you were taking a picture of the
sunset it would fall across one of the horizontal lines.

3. Four our documentary we will use the rule of thirds especially when it
comes to interviews. We will ensure that the subject interviewee is along
one of the vertical lines and their face fall on the upper left or right cross-
sectional points. This is the generic shot for interviews in documentaries
meaning we will also be following the codes and conventions. Although
Minoli, our interviewer, will be near the camera lens with her back facing
it, it is not an over the shoulder shot, as we don’t want her in the frame.
However, we will keep the idea that our subject will take up around two
thirds of the overall frame, like over the shoulder shots suggest.

4. The images I have used so far in this presentation are from Google. Due to
this, I wanted to use and show my own experimental examples, which can
be found below. I took my own sunset photo to compare to the one on the
first slide, but I used the higher horizontal line as opposed to the lower
one. As for the interviewee shot, I followed the first image on the previous
slide but, in hindsight, I realise I should have left a bit more room to the
left, and less on the right.