Just as a room would seem out of balance if all of the furniture were piled up on one side, a scene must be balanced to be aesthetically pleasing. Regardless of their actual physical weight, large objects in a scene seem heavier than small ones. To do this it helps to imagine a fulcrum or balance point at the bottom center of each of your shots. Seldom will objects actually have to be moved around. Create A Pattern of Meaning 7 .
Most people are familiar with the inkblot tests used by psychiatrists.
We assume that things don't just come together by accident. Good directors take advantage of this tendency and pay careful attention to the specific elements included in a scene. Elements in a shot may be bold and obvious or they may be subtly designed to suggest almost subconscious meaning. Film critics have spent many hours discussing the symbolism and subconscious levels of meaning in films by directors such as Frederico Fellini. While the director of a dramatic piece should be a master at creating illusions and emotional responses, the job in ENG and documentary work is to clearly show things the way they are and let events and facts speak for themselves.