Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Contrast
Visual contrast means that one thing in the image looks different from everything else. It may
be the one window light that is on in a big house with many windows, a small red fi sh
swimming in a school of blue and gray fi sh. It may be the one person who gets up and
leaves in an auditorium of seated, stationary people. Our eyes are drawn to things that
stand out against the sameness of their surroundings. You can direct the viewer's eye by
making something stand out visually. It is always important to consider where you want your
audience to be focused in any shot. Don't give the audience too many things to focus on
or they may not see what you need them to see.
Upstaging
is a term used to suggest that
the wrong thing is stealing the attention away from where it is supposed to be. Don't let the
wrong thing upstage your main area of focus. There should be one idea per storyboard
and one main thing to focus the audience's attention on in each shot.
Camera Focus
The depth of fi eld in a camera has been used to “blur out” the background, while the fore-
ground is in focus and then to reverse the effect and let the foreground become out of focus,
while the background becomes clear. This is called
rack focus
and represents a way that
the live-action camera operator keeps the audience looking at the right thing.
Rack Focus
