Level Up.pdf

Other Camera Notes 149
the way up or a third of the way to one side or another. Of course, once you
have mastered the rule of thirds, you will want to break it. That ’ s OK too.
After all, you are an ar- teest.
Another tried and true rule is called crossing the line. Just like in the rule
of thirds, there is an imaginary line that cuts through the middle of your
scene or environment. Let ’ s say you have your hero running away from a
deadly trap.
The hero has just crossed the line, which makes it look like he is running
first to the right and then to the left, which just looks weird and doesn ’ t
convey that our hero is running in the same direction. Instead, add a shot
of our hero from the front to show that this is the same guy in the same
place.
You also want to apply crossing the line when you have two characters
talking to each other, otherwise they ’ ll look like they are talking to someone
else off screen.
Always Point the Camera to the Objective
An excellent rule of directing your shot, whether it is in - game or in a
cutscene, is that the camera should tell the player what they should be
looking at. For example, you enter a mysterious, underground chamber. The
player can be told any number of things by the camera ’ s movement: where
puzzle elements can be found, the appearance or location of enemies, a
dramatic reveal of a beautiful piece of architecture, or where the exit is. Or