Cinematography is the act of capturing photographic images in space through the use of a number of controllable elements.
These include the quality of the film stock, the manipulation of the camera lens, framing,scale and movement. Some theoreticians and film historians (Bordwell, Thompson) would also include duration, or the length of the shot.
Cinematography is a function of the relationship between the camera lens and a light source, the focal length of the lens, the camera’s position and its capacity for motion.
-Depth of field is the measure that can be applied to the area in focus within the frame.
-Deep focus, which requires a small aperture and lots of light, means that the foreground, middle-ground and background of the frame remain in focus.
-Shallow focus is a function of a narrow depth of field and it implies that only one plane of the frame will remain sharp and clear (usually the foreground). In contemporary cinema, shallow focus is often combined with deep space for artistic purposes or to demonstrate subjectivity. It is typically a feature of the close-up.-Racking Focus is when filmmakers can change the focus of the lens to a subject in the background from the foreground or vice versa. This can be used to shift the audience’s attention or to point out a significant relationship between the two subjects.
-The zoom shot occurs when a filmmaker changes the focal length of the lens in the middle of a shot. We appear to get closer or further away from the subject when this technique is used.
FILM SPEED Rate
-The standard rate for a film is 24 frames per second. If more frames are added to this second the film will seem to slow down. The film will speed up if there are less than 24 frames per second.
Angle of Framing
-When filming from below or above the subject of the frame, it is known as a low or high angle. Filming from different angles is a way to show the relationship between the camera’s point of view and the subject of the frame.
-When filming from below or above the subject of the frame, it is known as a low or high angle. Filming from different angles is a way to show the relationship between the camera’s point of view and the subject of the frame.
Level of Framing
-This refers to the height at which the camera is positioned in a given shot. Different camera heights are often used to display or exaggerate differences in points of view.
-Canted framing is where the camera is not level but tilted. It is used in action films and other films with lots of movement. It may suggest danger or disorder.
-A following shot is a shot that follows a character with pans, tilts, and tracking. It is unobtrusive and focuses all of the viewer’s attention on the character.
-Wide-angle lenses distort the edges of a frame to emphasize the amount of space in a shot. They are used in enclosed areas where space is limited.
SCALE
-An extreme long shot is when the scale of what is being seen is tiny.
-A long shot is when the scale of what is being seen is small.
-A medium long shot is when what is being viewed takes up almost the entire height of the screen.
-A medium close-up is when what is being viewed is large and takes up most of the screen.
-A close-up is when what is being viewed is quite large and takes up the entire screen, such as a person’s head.
-An extreme close-up is when what is being viewed is very large, usually this is a part of someone’s face.
MOVEMENT
-A crane shot is achieved by mounting a camera on some type of crane device. The weight of the camera is countered by free weights at one end where the camera-man (or sometimes a remote control) can control the movement of the shot. Crane shots are often of practical use to the the filmmaker when a scene demands a shot that a normal camera person cannot take.
-Steadicam shots are used by filmmakers, commonly, for motion tracking shots. A Steadicam device is essentially a harness that uses the camera person’s body as the support device for the camera. Steadicam was a novel way to shot a scene as it isolates the movement of the camera person from the camera. Stabilizing mechanisms counter the movements of the camera person to eliminate the inevitable imperfections present in handheld shooting (i.e. shaking).
-A pan shot is a camera movement which follows the action, or reveals previously unframed space, as it moves horizontally. Pans occur in varying speeds for dramatic purposes. A pan can also incorporate zooms, tracking of action shots and/or movement of the camera base itself.
-A tilt shot is essentially a vertical pan, where the camera moves up and down rather than from one side to another. Tilt shots often heighten an audience’s level of suspense as they are unaware what the shot will uncover. Tilt shots, like pans, serve to reveal some previously unseen space to the viewer. These shots may include zooms, tracking of action shots and/or movement of the camera base itself.
-A tracking shot follows action through space in a variety of directions. As the action, or character, moves along the screen the tracking shot enables the audience to feel as if they are moving with the action through space. This sensation is achieved by mounting the camera on a track, dolly, or moving vehicle to smoothly follow the action along a choreographed course.
-A whip pan follows all the same rules as a normal pan. However, a whip pan involves a quicker movement that may momentarily blur the images onscreen. Whip pans are often abrupt and imply a rapid unfolding events (i.e. action movies).