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How many times have you recorded vacation moments with your smartphone or a high-tech camera, but when you watch them again, they feel... lacking? Like something's missing, not cinematic, and don't have that "Epic" feel at all.

The secret to cinematic videos like those on the big screen isn't just about expensive equipment or complicated color grading. The key lies in Framing and Composition. The way you place your subject within the frame is how you control the viewer's attention.

Here, the Berkah Abadi Studio team will share some composition tips to take your footage to the next level!

1. Ban Subjects from Always Being in the Center (Rule of Thirds) Beginner's habit: when recording someone talking, their face is always placed right in the middle of the screen (like taking a passport photo). This bores the audience! Try turning on the Grid feature (3x3 grid lines) on your camera screen. Place your subject's eyes at the intersection of these lines (slightly to the left or right). This gives "breathing room" (looking room) in front of the subject's face, making the video look more natural and professional.

2. Play with Dimensions: Don't Make Your Video "Flat" The screen is two-dimensional (2D). Your task as a videographer is to create a 3D illusion, or depth (depth). How? Use Foreground. Don't just record your friend sitting in a cafe directly. Try positioning the camera to peek from behind plants, coffee cups, or someone's shoulder, then focus on your friend. The blurred objects in front of the lens (foreground) will give the impression that the world in your video is vast and has dimension.

3. Utilize "Leading Lines" (Guiding Lines) The video screen is full of lines we're not aware of. There are fence lines, sidewalk lines, wall lines, or rows of trees. Instead of recording straight and hitting a wall, try positioning your camera so that these lines "point" directly to your main subject. The viewer's brain will automatically follow these lines and focus on the main point of your story without being told.

4. The Angle of Capture Determines Emotion Are you recording from below (Low Angle)? Your subject will look dominant, strong, and majestic (suitable for corporate videos or sports cars). Are you recording from above (High Angle)? Your subject will look small, alone, or weak. So, don't be lazy and get low or climb a chair! Stop recording everything from eye-level. Look for extreme angles to convey different emotions.

5. Move the Camera for a Reason This is a big mistake beginners make: moving the camera constantly without direction. Left, right, zoom in, zoom out, making the viewer dizzy like seasickness. In the world of cinematography, the camera only moves when there's a motivation.

1. Move forward (Push In) slowly when the subject is talking about something serious/sad, as if we're snooping on a secret.
2. Move backward (Pull Out) to show that the subject is alone in a vast space.
3. Move to the side (Tracking/Panning) to follow the subject who's walking. If there's no motivation? Use a tripod. A static shot (still camera) with good composition is a hundred times more epic than unnecessary camera movement.

Bonus Tip: The 180-Degree Rule for Shutter Speed in Video! If in photography shutter speed can be changed at will, in video, there's something called the 180-Degree Rule. In short: Shutter Speed must always be twice the Frame Rate. If you're recording at 24fps (film format), shutter speed must be 1/50s. If you're recording in slow motion at 60fps, shutter speed must be 1/120s. Why? So the motion blur effect (the blur when the hand/subject moves) looks natural to the human eye, just like watching a movie!