Framing: The Rule of Thirds and How to Sit in the Frame

Most podcast video looks amateur because of three framing mistakes: too much headroom, the eyes in the middle of the frame, and the camera six inches too low. All three are fixed in five minutes once you understand the rule of thirds.

The rule of thirds, applied to a face

Divide the frame into thirds horizontally and vertically. The four points where those lines cross are the most visually powerful positions in the image. On a talking-head shot, your eyes should sit on the upper horizontal third — not in the middle of the frame, and never at the very top.

Headroom — less than you think

Beginners leave a fist of empty space above the head. Television leaves a finger. If the top of your hair is touching the top horizontal third line, you have the right amount of headroom for a talking-head shot. Too much and the subject looks small. Too little and they feel claustrophobic.

Camera at eye level — always

A laptop webcam, sat on your desk, points up your nose. It also makes you look down at the lens, which on screen reads as low-status, low-energy and slightly suspicious. Raise the camera until it sits exactly at eye level. A stack of books works. A monitor stand is better. A monitor with the camera mounted on top is best.

Lead room and looking-room

If you're shooting in profile or three-quarter (e.g. interviewing a guest who's slightly off-axis), give them room to look into the frame. Eyes pointing left? Leave more space on the left. This is called looking-room and it's the difference between a frame that feels composed and one that feels cramped.

How to sit

• →Feet flat on the floor. It changes how you breathe, which changes how you sound.
• →Lean forward 5°. Reads as engaged on camera. Don't slump.
• →Roughly an arm's length from the lens — the modern interview distance.
• →Shoulders square to the camera, head turned 5–10° toward the light.
• →Keep your hands in the lower third of the frame when you gesture — outside it, they distract.

The 30-second framing check

• →Eyes on the upper third? ✓
• →Headroom less than a finger? ✓
• →Camera at eye level? ✓
• →Shoulders visible, not just face? ✓
• →Background tidy and at least a metre behind you? ✓

Do all five before every record. It takes 30 seconds and it's the difference between video that looks 'fine' and video that looks like a show people pay for. If you'd rather not think about any of this, we'll set the cameras and frame the shots for you.