What feels wrong with your shot?
A free field test from Blake Ridder. Choose a problem below, try one change, and compare your two shots. Use the phone or camera you already have.
See what to look for.
Three genuine frames from Blake’s Blocking lesson in Directing Techniques. Study the image, then try the matching exercise below.
01 / Depth
Trace the layers: table in front, actor in the middle, windows behind. Overlap and distance make the space readable.
02 / Attention
Where does your eye land: the bright window, Blake, or the actor? This rehearsal frame shows how several things can compete for attention.
03 / Light
Compare the two sides of Blake’s face. The difference between light and shadow gives it shape. Choose the contrast that suits your scene.
Separate teaching examples from the original lesson (9:08, 8:29 and 3:15), rather than a before-and-after sequence.
Pick the problem. Run the test.
Keep your first shot. Change only what the exercise asks, then shoot again. Which version makes the subject easier to read?
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Everything feels stuck to the background
Keep the camera still. Move your subject farther from the background and take another shot. Compare the separation and overlapping shapes. If it helps, add a foreground edge without covering the subject. A blurred background is optional.
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My eye keeps going to the wrong thing
Find a bright or busy background distraction. Move the camera sideways until it leaves the frame, keeping the same lens or zoom. Glance at both shots: which leads your eye to the intended subject first?
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The face looks evenly lit, but lifeless
With a window or lamp beside your subject, turn them slightly toward or away from it. Compare the light and shadow on the face before changing the grade. Choose the version that fits the scene; more shadow is not automatically better.