The Rule of Thirds - (Abigail Odum)

My role in my group is camera person, for this reason i have decided to do some research on 'the rule of thirds'.In order for us to achieve great footage it's essential we follow this rule.

What is the Rule?

As complicated as its history is, the Rule of Thirds is extremely simple to follow. Divide your video screen into three horizontal and three vertical segments - like a tic-tac-toe grid. The Rule of Thirds dictates that points of interest should land at the intersection of two of these lines or, in the case of lines, like horizons or pillars, they should fall at either the 1/3 or 2/3 level.

Why should the Rule be used?

 While it's easy to explain why other compositional rules such as "look space" or "chin room" work, it's extraordinarily difficult to understand why composing with the Rule of Thirds works. For some reason, people simply find it pleasing. This is borne out by more than a hundred years of cinematography. But don't take my word for it - after reading this article, try an experiment.

 Go set up some shots with your video camera. In one, have the subject centered, and then shoot a second, following the Rule of Thirds. Watch the shots on your television and see if one of them seems inherently "right" and the other inherently "wrong" - try to quantify your own reactions.

http://www.videomaker.com/article/13485/