The Power of a Frame

Sometimes you see a photo or a frame out of a movie and it just says it all (or at least something). A great resource for photos is The Big Picture @ boston.com. The photo set of war are pretty intense, so beware.

This has nothing to do with the technique of animation, but to me they are a springboard for ideas for shots. You want to tell a story using the whole frame, not just the characters within the frame.

Here a select few:

Look of fear? Hope? Longing?

A character doesn't always have to be human or a "living creature". The look of set or an environment can say a lot. Or I'm just looking for an excuse to post this awesome picture.

This would be a pain to animate, but it's cool to see a group focused on a single object.

Great facial expression and contrast between characters.

Single path, surrounded by limits, or whatever this image triggers, but the composition is interesting.

That guy is very eager or very lonely.

Guide the audience to the focal point.

That's just funny.

The people just look like ants.

Anyway. Again, nothing purely about animation, but maybe an inspiration to some.