When it comes to visual storytelling, few directors are as accurate as Alfred Hitchcock.
In fact, many of Hitchcock’s filming techniques, some of which have become essential parts of film language, are relatively simple and can even be summed up in easy-to-remember rules. One of these rules is simply known as the “Hitchcock Rule”. , “and when you apply it to your movie, it can help you frame your scenes more intentionally and take the right shots at the right time in the editing room.
- Alfred Hitchcock was not only the master of suspense; Was it the master in capturing and provoking powerful emotions in his actors and audience through various film techniques.
- Which every filmmaker must learn at some point in his career?.
The funny thing about Alfred Hitchcock’s work is that it has become a cliché, which is actually a bit ironic, because one of his greatest contributions to cinema was the fact that he broke clichés, not only in the genre in which he worked, mainly psychological thrillers, but also in the general visual narrative. For example, before the scene of the feather duster on the harvest in North By Northwest (known as International Intrigue, here), a similar scene would probably occur at night, in a dark, claustrophobic alley. in a big city, rather than on a sunny day at a cornfield in Nowhere, Indiana (technically, it was filmed around Bakersfield, California).
So how did Hitchcock go from being a silent producer and film director to a dynamic, masterful director who created some of the best films in film history?One of the main reasons is its implementation (or even creation) of narrative and cinematic techniques. that have taken shape to a new level, such as dolly zoom, or “vertigo effect,” which was created by his second-unit cameraman, Irmin Roberts, and which was used in Vertigo, in addition to his stylistic emphasis on facial expressions. , as well as its use of the view it takes.
In a quick tutorial by our Academy of Storytellers friends, they describe Hitchcock’s rule and show how to apply it in several different filming contexts.
So what’s Hitchcock’s rule? A simple summary is
The size of any object in your painting should be proportional to its importance in relation to the history of the moment.
Every image in your story is an opportunity to say something, and it’s an opportunity to be intentional in exactly what the message conveys. The composition of this framework is a general way to convey the message.
Is this one of those things that seems obvious? Just take a closer look at whether something is important and relevant to the story at that time. However, what I often see in amateur cinema are close-up scenes and inserts that don’t really work for the story. Unfortunately, this can be very disturbing for the audience. Since most of us are conditioned to understand that close-ups convey a sense of importance, it can be shameful and confusing that a close-up does not contain information that further improves our vision. understanding and emotional investment in history.
That’s where Hitchcock’s rule comes in. It can be applied both when you’re on the board and when you’re in the editing room. In production, hitchcock’s rule can help you capture the shots and details you really need. can help you decide how much you need to open or close the frame. And in the editing room, Hitchcock’s rule can help you choose the right shots at the right time. Simply put, if you understand your story and individual elements, Hitchcock’s rule can help you tell the story effectively and in a way that the public understands by nature.