Focus on: Cinematography

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Focus on Cinematography
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Cinematography

• Etymologically breaks down to writing by
  movement. Like photography, light translates
  into visual information and meaning however,
  apparent motion differentiates photography from
  cinematography.

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Elements of Cinematography

• Lighting
• Color (formally)/Contrast
• Film stocks gauges
• Opticals (lenses, filters)
• Effects
• Shots

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Shots are defined according to

• Size/Distance
• Angle
• Content
• Movement
• Point of view
• Conventions
• Examples to follow from each category
• Initially, size/distance

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Defining shots by size/distance

• Long shot
• Full shot
• Medium shot
• Closeup
• NB Use extreme sparingly

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . By size/distance a long shot often scans a
  wide area, providing information (literal and
  symbolic) including setting it establishes parts
  of the narrative. (Signs)

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . by size/distance A full shot reveals a
  character from head-to-toe or a full object,
  often providing some contextual information
  (literal and symbolic) such as setting and
  action. (The Matrix Reloaded)

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . by size/distance a medium shots reveals a
  character from waist up or most but not all of an
  object. Meaning (literal and symbolic) is
  created by being this close to the object or
  character--not full and not so close. (Signs)

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Defining shots . . .

• . . .by size/distance a closeup reveals a
  characters face or a detail of an object.
  Consider how these two close shots from XXX
  literally show us Diesels character and
  symbolically make us feel intimidated.

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Compare sizes/distances
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Shots are defined according to

• Size/Distance ?
• Angle
• Content
• Movement
• Point of view
• Conventions

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Defining shots by angle . . .

• High or Angle-down
• Eye-level
• Low or Angle-up
• Birds eye
• Aerial
• Reverse
• Oblique or canted frame

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . By angle High angle shot looks down on the
  subject, suggesting its literal shortness and
  symbolic weakness or inferiority. (Spy Kids II)

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . By angle eye-level shot looks a character
  in the eye, suggesting respect and equality or
  simply neutrality.

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . By angle a low angle shot looks up to the
  subject, suggesting its literal height and
  symbolic power.
• (Blue Crush)

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Compare these angles . . .
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Defining shots by angle . . .

• Birds eye
• Aerial
• Reverse
• Oblique or canted frame

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• Size/Distance ?
• Angle ?
• Content
• Movement
• Point of view
• Conventions

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Defining shots by content . . .

• One-shot
• Two-shot
• NB check conventions for overlaps

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Defining shots by content . . .

• . . . a one-shot reveals one character
• . . . a two-shot reveals two characters
• (Frida)

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• Size/Distance ?
• Angle ?
• Content ?
• Movement
• Point of view
• Conventions

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Defining shots by movement . . .

• Moving camera shots include dolly, tracking,
  crane, aerial, pan, tilt, etc.
• Movement within the frame includes horizontal
  movement, through the depth of the frame, etc.

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• Size/Distance ?
• Angle ?
• Content ?
• Movement ?
• Point of view
• Conventions

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Defining shots by pov . . .

• As in literature, film observes three points of
  view
• 3rd person (She, he, or it does it)
• 1st person (I do it)
• 2nd person (You do it or, Do it!)
• Unlike literature, film has more gradual shifts
  in point of view.

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Defining shots

• . . . by pov 3rd person is the most common
  perspective in narrative film. The camera acts
  as an observer of some actor or action.
• (Collateral Damage)

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . by pov shifts occur in film from 3rd to
  1st and back again relatively frequently. A 1st
  person shift places the viewer of the film in the
  place of a character. This can be gradual or
  complete.

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Defining shots . . .

• . . . By pov 2nd person directly addresses the
  viewer of the film. This often enables some
  theoretical level in the film.

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• Size/Distance ?
• Angle ?
• Content ?
• Movement ?
• Point of view ?
• Conventions

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Defining shots by convention . . .

• Shot/countershot is one of the most significant
  and popular of the Hollywood tradition.
• Typically starts with full 2-shot
• Cuts in to medium one-shot of a character
• Then, cuts to medium one-shot of b character on
  opposite side.

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Defining shots by convention . . .

• Shot/countershot (s/c or s/r)
• Reaction shot
• Establishing shot (inside/out editing)
• Eyeline match (cut)
• Devils in details
• NB overlaps with content and other categories