Transcript Cinematography

Cinematography
The use of the camera to create a
world that we perceive on screen
cinematography is a language
Governed by certain conventions,
but not restricted by these conventions;
reflecting and complementing the film’s other
formal elements
Shots
• Setup: the camera’s position for a shot
• Shot: one uninterrupted run of the camera
• Take: the number of times a shot must be
repeated (think “take two”)
Camera people
• The cinematographer
assisted by
• Camera operator and assistant camera
operators (“ACs”)
• Electricians: “gaffer,” “best boy,” “grips”
Film stocks
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Gauges of film (8 mm – 70mm) – width
Speed of film (fast, slow) – “graininess”
Color
Black-and-white
Videotape vs. movie film (not in the
Barsam book, but important!)
Lighting
• How shots are lit affects how we perceive
them
• Lighting ratios: hard/high key, soft/low key
• 3-point system: keylight, fill light, backlight
• What’s NOT lit is an important aspect of
lighting (just as offscreen space is as
important as onscreen space)
Production Values
• A term that describes the number of
people and amount of resources
expended on creating a film
Types of Lenses
• Aperture: an iris that limits light
• Focal length: wide, narrow angle, zoom.
Different lenses are employed for different
focal lengths (prime lenses, zoom lenses)
• Depth of field: what planes are in focus
Framing
• Aspect ratio (ratio of width to height)
• Masks (placed over aperture to change
the shape of the frame)
• Transition effects (iris-out)
Framing and POV
• Omniscient POV (most “usual”)
• Single-character POV (can also rotate)
• Group POV
Shot Duration
• Slow-motion emphasizes the action
• Fast-motion is usually funny
• Long take (film permits 10 minutes, but
this can be extended) creates feeling of
real time and space
Three Basic Shot Lengths
• Closeup shot
• Medium shot (typical)
• Long shot
and gradations of these three
i.e., XCS, XLS, MCS
Shot Depth
• Deep-space composition
• Deep-focus cinematography
• The rule of thirds
Camera Angle/Height
• Eye-level shot (from typical POV)
• High angle shot (from overhead)
• Low angle (from below)
• Dutch angle (tilted)
• Aerial view (from above – long shot)
Camera Movement
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Contrast with lens movements (earlier)
Pan shot
Tilt shot
Dolly or tracking shot
Zoom shot (a camera effect)
Crane shot
Handheld or steadicam shot
Special Effects
• In-camera (as in transition effects)
• Mechanical (staged), including day-fornight, split screen, blow-up
• Computer/digital
Visual themes in the film
• Thresholds – doors, windows
• Hallways
• Domestic objects
• Barred windows/enclosures