The rule of thirds is a centuries-old rule of composition. It says that the most visually important places within any frame are located on the 4 lines that divide the frame in 3rds.
When you compose a shot, begin by placing important visual elements on these lines. If you are shooting a landscape, frame the image so the horizon is on the top third or the lower third. See which you like. If you are shooting an interview, place the interviewee’s eyes on the top third.
To really see how the rule of thirds is used, tape a piece of clear plastic over your television screen, and then use an erasable dry marker to draw four lines on it: two horizontal lines at the upper and lower third of the screen, and two vertical lines at the right and left third of the screen. Play any Hollywood movie, or watch any broadcast show and you will see immediately that nearly every professional shot is composed on the rule of thirds.
Whenever possible, look for ways to add perspective to your shots. Perspective gives your shots depth and interest. Look for something in the foreground that frames or somehow identifies the scene.
Common uses of perspective in films: train tracks that recede in the distance. Roads that recede in the distance. Lanes with trees or fence posts on the side of the road, in which the trees or fence posts recede in the distance.
