A technique for adding visual interest and enhancing storytelling.
Add Visual Interest
Patrick Tomasso explains director of photography Greig Fraser‘s technique of ‘dirtying the frame‘:
Enhance Storytelling
Writer-director duo Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar describe how their Train Dreams (2026) cinematographer Adolpho Veloso dirties the frame not merely for aesthetics, but for storytelling (clipped from the full interview with David Perell / How I Write):
What inspires beautiful cinematography?
— David Perell (@david_perell) February 9, 2026
Clint, the director of Oscar-nominated Train Dreams told me: "In shooting Train Dreams, we didn't have a lot of money.
So we were constantly thinking of ways to construct a frame that doesn't feel busy but feels empty when it should feel… https://t.co/NHVM4Ev2Dq pic.twitter.com/0VpU5SSY4w
Try It Yourself
Zach Ramelan offers tips on how to dirty the frame (via PremiumBeat):
Documentarian Mark Bone demonstrates how even your choice of lens, and the direction in which you point your camera, can dirty the frame. Funnily enough, he demonstrates using a lens which the aforementioned Greig Fraser would go on to use on films including the Dune movies and The Batman (2022):