Golden Section & Rule of Thirds
The whole, is to the larger, as the larger is to the smaller.
Golden Section, is a formula used in the development of the image composition, both in the static as well as moving images. It is one of the oldest and most commonly used principles of design based on the Divine Proportion. It is based around the pattern of the way humans subconsciously look at, and appreciate images.
Proportions are mathematical concepts used to describe a similarity between two ratios. They express a relation of two concepts to one another or to the whole they form together. Proportions introduce a term of measurement in terms of figuring out how the comparison works. In practice it means that every proportion can be mathematically described and proven. In case of the Divine proportion, it can be described and explained by a pattern of numbers that increases by adding the two previous numbers together which demonstrates the perfect relation of the whole to its parts.
In other words the Divine Proportion and Golden Section place the larger next to the smaller, in terms of considering them within the whole. What we discover through the Golden Section is a relationship of balance, harmony and symmetry.
‘ The power of the golden section to create harmony, arises from its unique capacity to unite different parts of a whole, so that each preserves its own identity, and yet blends into the greater pattern of a single whole
Gyorgy Doczi, The Power of Limit
Most common visual depiction of this rule is The Golden Spiral, also known as the growth spiral, which unwraps around a fixed point , at a changing distance (logarithmic/ equiangular spiral) and is a diagram of natures most dynamic, proportionate way of creation.
Is is often depicted within a rectangle with Fibonacci’s numbers assigned to it (as it is another sequence describing the rule).
Filmmakers most commonly use the rectangle version, and the third smallest rectangle, in each of the positions (rotated around the centre) creates The Rule of Thirds, in which the screen is divided into thirds, and the intersections of the lines create the optimal positions in which to place the key points of composition.