I was chatting with a colleague this week about composition of video shots, and what it is that separates pro video from the decidedly amateur. Sometimes we know something isn’t quite right, but it can be difficult to put your finger on exactly why it doesn’t work.

Difficult, that is, until you know about the rule of thirds. Not the easiest thing to explain in writing, but happily this is a videography newsletter, so check out this video that explains it nicely.

Whether you want your subject talking straight at the camera or looking at someone off camera, whether you’re filming products or interviews, whether you’re looking at people or landscapes, the rule of thirds is a really powerful means of getting your composition just right, so that for the viewer it feels intuitively correct.

Most importantly, it ensures the viewer is focused on the areas that you want the viewer to focus on. The viewer’s eyes are not wandering aimlessly around the screen. And as soon as you start watching videos with the rule of thirds in mind, you’ll see it everywhere.

Once you get used to thinking in terms of the rule of thirds, it becomes really easy to compose your shots intuitively. In the mean time, many camcorders can actually show the lines on your monitor screen. Look for a feature in the menu called ‘grid’ or something similar. It really does help.