This means that the prudent use of lighting can be a composition tool, in this case to emphasize important scenic elements and to de-emphasize others. As discussed in the upcoming modules on lighting, barn doors are commonly used with lights in the studio to downgrade the importance of elements in a scene by making them slightly darker. We'll see more examples of this in the modules on lighting. Movement can be used to shift attention. Although our eye may be dwelling on the scene's center of interest, it will quickly be drawn to movement in a secondary area of the picture.
Someone entering the scene is an example.
As we noted in an earlier module, we can also force the audience to shift their attention through the technique of rack focus , changing the focus of the lens from one object to another. Observe Proper Subject Placement 4 . This generally weakens the composition of the scene. This is referred to as leading the subject. Rule of Thirds E xcept, possibly, for closeups of people, it is often best to place the center of interest near one of the points indicated by the rule of thirds .