Blog Number 5

Ratatouille


Storyboard:

Overhead View:

            The director of the animation film Ratatouille did a very good job of following the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is essentially a rule of thumb where important elements of each shot should cross the lines cutting the scene into three rows across and three rows down. For example, in the first shot, Remy’s face crosses the lines because the director wants the viewer to pay attention to his facial expressions. Since Remy is thinking in the first shot, the viewer’s eyes are guided to his eyes first. Also, the director has other important elements such as the pot of soup and the wooden spoon crossing the imaginary lines in the second shot because it is essential for the viewer to recognize the fact that Remy is cooking in the kitchen. Another scene where the director uses the rule of thirds very well is in shot five when Gusteau is constantly flying around Remy. Gusteau is an important character in this scene because he is telling Remy to go ahead add ingredients to the pot of soup while he can before the cooks come back in the kitchen and see him.

            The director also followed the 180 degree rule and the rules of 30 very well. Throughout the entire scene, the camera does not cross the 180 degree line. Also, when Remy is turning his body, the camera moves around with him so that it does not cross the 180 degree line. The same thing goes for when Gusteau appears in the air and flies around Remy. Remy is constantly turning around so that he can be face to face with Gusteau and talk to him, so the camera moves with them to avoid crossing the line. The director also follows the rules of 30. There are no jump cuts within the scene. In the first shot, the director uses a pan shot when Remy is running back and forth horizontally on the counter. In order to avoid jump cuts in the third shot, the director uses another pan shot when Remy turns around to look at the pot of soup.

            Overall, the director did a great job of following the rule of thirds, the 180 degree rule, and the rules of 30. He made the most important elements of each shot stand out by having them cross the imaginary lines that cut each shot into 9 parts. He also avoided jump cuts by not crossing the 180 degree line, by using pan shots throughout the scene, and by having the camera move around with the characters.