ReddRadar
Agent skill
shot-composition
Plan camera angles, movements, shot sizes, and visual design for cinematic storytelling
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/a5c-ai/babysitter/tree/main/library/specializations/domains/social-sciences-humanities/arts-culture/film-tv-production/skills/shot-composition
SKILL.md
Shot Composition Skill
Purpose
Design visually compelling shots that serve the story. Every camera choice—angle, movement, lens, composition—should enhance meaning, create emotion, and guide the viewer's attention.
Shot Sizes
The Size Spectrum
EWS ─── WS ─── MWS ─── MS ─── MCU ─── CU ─── ECU
│ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │ └── Detail/Eyes
│ │ │ │ │ └──────── Face
│ │ │ │ └──────────────── Head/Shoulders
│ │ │ └──────────────────────── Waist Up
│ │ └──────────────────────────────── Knees Up
│ └──────────────────────────────────────── Full Body
└──────────────────────────────────────────────── Environment
When to Use Each
| Size | Use For | Emotion |
|---|---|---|
| EWS | Establishing, scope, isolation | Awe, loneliness |
| WS | Context, geography, action | Objective, neutral |
| MWS | Blocking, movement | Balance |
| MS | Conversation, action | Engagement |
| MCU | Emotion, dialogue | Connection |
| CU | Reaction, intimacy | Intensity |
| ECU | Detail, revelation | Impact |
Camera Angles
Vertical Angles
Bird's Eye → Looking straight down (god view)
High Angle → Looking down at subject (vulnerability)
Eye Level → Neutral, natural (equality)
Low Angle → Looking up at subject (power)
Worm's Eye → Looking straight up (extreme power)
Horizontal Angles
Frontal → Direct, confrontational
3/4 Profile → Most common, dimensional
Profile → Reflective, contemplative
Over Shoulder → POV, conversation
Dutch Angle → Unease, disorientation
Camera Movement
Movement Types
| Movement | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Static | No movement | Stability, observation |
| Pan | Horizontal pivot | Survey, follow |
| Tilt | Vertical pivot | Reveal, scale |
| Dolly | Camera moves forward/back | Intimacy, revelation |
| Track | Camera moves alongside | Follow, accompany |
| Crane | Camera moves up/down | Scope, grandeur |
| Steadicam | Smooth handheld | Immersion |
| Handheld | Naturalistic shake | Urgency, documentary |
| Zoom | Lens change (not movement) | Emphasis, isolation |
Motivated Movement
Movement should be motivated by:
- Character movement (following action)
- Emotional revelation (moving in for intimacy)
- Story information (revealing new element)
- Point of view (showing what character sees)
Composition Principles
Rule of Thirds
┌───┬───┬───┐
│ • │ │ • │ Place subjects at intersections
├───┼───┼───┤ for dynamic composition
│ │ ○ │ │
├───┼───┼───┤ Center for stability/confrontation
│ • │ │ • │
└───┴───┴───┘
Leading Lines
Lines that guide the eye:
- Roads, hallways, fences
- Arms, gaze direction
- Light beams, shadows
- Architectural elements
Frame Within Frame
Use doorways, windows, mirrors
to create visual interest and
focus attention on subject
Depth
Foreground │ Midground │ Background
↓ ↓ ↓
Frame Subject Context
Lens Choices
Focal Length Effects
| Lens | Effect | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Wide (14-35mm) | Distortion, space | Environments, unease |
| Normal (35-50mm) | Natural | Dialogue, general |
| Telephoto (85mm+) | Compression, isolation | Portraits, tension |
Depth of Field
Shallow DOF (f/1.4-2.8):
- Subject sharp, background blur
- Isolation, intimacy
- Focus pull for attention
Deep DOF (f/8-16):
- Everything in focus
- Context, geography
- Multiple planes of action
Shot List Format
## Scene [Number] Shot List
| Shot | Size | Angle | Lens | Movement | Subject | Action | Duration |
|------|------|-------|------|----------|---------|--------|----------|
| 1.1 | WS | Eye | 35mm | Static | Room | Est. | 3s |
| 1.2 | MS | 3/4 | 50mm | Track | Sarah | Enter | 5s |
| 1.3 | CU | Eye | 85mm | Static | Sarah | React | 2s |
Visual Storytelling
Show Power Dynamics
DOMINANT: Low angle, higher position, larger frame
SUBMISSIVE: High angle, lower position, smaller frame
EQUAL: Eye level, similar frame sizes
Create Tension
- Tight framing (claustrophobic)
- Negative space (anticipation)
- Off-center subjects (unease)
- Shallow DOF (isolation)
Guide Emotion
JOY: Bright, warm, open framing
FEAR: Dark, tight, unpredictable
LOVE: Soft, close, warm tones
ANGER: Hard, dynamic, extreme angles
Coverage Strategy
Basic Scene Coverage
- Master - Full scene in one shot
- Singles - Individual close-ups
- Over-shoulders - Conversation coverage
- Inserts - Detail shots
- Cutaways - Reaction, environment
Action Coverage
- Wide master - Geography
- Medium action - Key moments
- Close details - Impact
- Reaction - Emotional response
Shot Breakdown Template
## Shot [ID]
### Technical
- **Size:** [EWS/WS/MS/MCU/CU/ECU]
- **Angle:** [Eye/Low/High/Dutch]
- **Lens:** [Focal length]
- **Movement:** [Type and direction]
- **Duration:** [Seconds]
### Composition
- **Subject Placement:** [Thirds/Center]
- **Depth:** [FG/MG/BG elements]
- **Leading Lines:** [If any]
### Purpose
- **Story Function:** [What it communicates]
- **Emotional Intent:** [What viewer should feel]
### AI Video Prompt
[Optimized prompt for generation]
Quality Checklist
- Shot size serves scene purpose
- Angle reinforces power/emotion
- Movement is motivated
- Composition guides eye
- Coverage is complete
- Continuity maintained
- Screen direction consistent
- Each shot earns its place
Recommended Agent Skills
Expand your agent's capabilities with these related and highly-rated skills.
a5c-ai/babysitter
gsd-tools
Central utility skill for GSD operations. Provides config parsing, slug generation, timestamps, path operations, and orchestrates calls to other specialized skills. Acts as the unified entry point that the original gsd-tools.cjs provided via its lib/ modules (commands, config, core, init).
a5c-ai/babysitter
model-profile-resolution
Resolve model profile (quality/balanced/budget) at orchestration start and map agents to specific models. Enables cost/quality tradeoffs by selecting appropriate AI models for each agent role.
a5c-ai/babysitter
verification-suite
Plan structure validation, phase completeness checks, reference integrity verification, and artifact existence confirmation. Provides the structured verification layer ensuring GSD artifacts are well-formed and complete.
a5c-ai/babysitter
state-management
STATE.md reading, writing, and field-level updates. Provides cross-session state persistence via .planning/STATE.md with structured fields for current task, completed phases, blockers, decisions, and quick tasks.
a5c-ai/babysitter
git-integration
Git commit patterns, formats, and conventions for GSD methodology. Provides atomic commits per task, structured commit messages, planning file commits, branch management, and milestone tag operations.
a5c-ai/babysitter
frontmatter-parsing
YAML frontmatter parsing and manipulation for .planning/ documents. Provides read, write, update, query, and validation operations on frontmatter blocks in GSD markdown artifacts.
Didn't find tool you were looking for?