The Tower
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Concept
This project was part of my Pre-Production coursework at DAE, focusing on understanding composition and perspective as visual storytelling tools.
The goal was to learn how camera angle, framing, and balance influence how the viewer perceives a scene -
not just what is shown, but how it’s shown.
By exploring different camera viewpoints and value placements, I discovered how perspective creates depth and emotional impact within a drawing.
Process
The exercise began with a series of quick thumbnail sketches, experimenting with multiple compositions and camera angles.
Each sketch explored how foreground, midground, and background interact to guide the viewer’s eye through the frame.
Workflow:
- Thumbnail exploration: created several small sketches to test framing and focal point balance
- Perspective setup: established vanishing points and horizon lines to control depth and scale
- Framing: cropped and adjusted camera positions to create dynamic tension and flow
- Value pass: defined clear light and dark areas to emphasize perspective and focus
- Final refinement: cleaned up the chosen composition and added atmospheric depth to enhance distance
The challenge was not just technical accuracy, but storytelling through placement - deciding what to include and what to leave out.
Outcome
The final drawing demonstrates a controlled perspective setup paired with a balanced and engaging composition.
Strong diagonals and layered depth help lead the viewer’s eye through the scene naturally.
This study showed how visual rhythm and space arrangement can communicate story, mood, and direction - even in a simple environment.
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Reflection
This project taught me to think like a cinematographer as well as an artist -
understanding how composition, framing, and perspective work together to shape emotion and storytelling.
It helped refine my sense of spatial design and improved my ability to control the viewer’s gaze.
I learned that every great image starts with a strong frame:
composition gives structure, and perspective gives depth.