Chapter 6-Cinematography

Cinematography

the process of capturing moving images on film or some other medium

shot

an unbroken span of action captured by an uninterrupted run of a motion-picture camera

take

One version of a shot. A filmmaker shoots one or more of each shot or set-up. Only one of each group may appear in the final film.

camera crew

Technicians that make up two separate groups—one concerned with the camera, the other concerned with electricity and lighting.

Tonality

the range of tones from pure white to darkest black

color grading

The process of altering and enhancing the color of a motion picture, video image, or still image electronically, photo-chemically, or digitally.

Framing

The process by which the cinematographer determines what will appear within the borders of the moving image during a shot.

Implied Proximity

The apparent distance between the camera (and thus the viewer) and the subject of a shot. This implied spatial relationship can influence how viewers interpret the significance of the character, object, or action on screen.

Extreme Long Shot (ELS)

Shows the object from a great distance, usually including a wide view of location. Often used as an establishing shot.

Long Shot (LS)

A shot that presents background and subject information in equal measure. These show the full human body and some of its surroundings.

Medium Long Shot (MLS)

A shot that includes the top of a subject's head to a line just above or just below the knee. Also called a knee shot or cowboy shot.

Medium Shot (MS)

The most common shot that shows the person from the waist up. The effect is to ground the story.

Medium Close Up (MCU)

A shot that shows a character from the middle of the chest to the top of the head. This provides a view of the face that catches minor changes in expression, as well as some detail about the character's posture.

Close Up (CU)

A shot that often shows a part of the body filling the frame—traditionally a face, but possibly a hand, eye, or mouth.

Extreme Close Up (ECU)

A very close shot of a particular detail, such as a person's eye, a ring on a finger, or a watch face.

Camera Angle

the level and height of the camera in relation to the subject being photographed

Eye Level Shot

An angle in which the camera is positioned at the eye level of the subject; the standard camera angle used for most shots.

High Angle Shot

Also known as down shot since the camera is above the action and that typically implies the observer's sense of superiority to the subject being photographed.

Low Angle Shot

A shot that is made with the camera below the action and that typically places the observer in a position of inferiority.

Dutch Angle Shot

Also known as the oblique-angle shot-the camera is tilted from its normal horizontal and vertical positions so that it is no longer straight, giving the viewer the impression that the world in the frame is out of balance.

Birds's Eye View Shot

An extreme high angle shot that is typically taken from a crane, drone, or aircraft

Pan Shot

The horizontal movement of a camera mounted on the gyroscopic head of a stationary tripod

Tilt Shot

The vertical movement of a camera mounted on the gyroscopic head of a stationary tripod

Dolly Shot

Also known as tracking shot. A shot taken by a camera fixed to a wheeled support called a dolly.

Zoom In

A shot in which the image is magnified by movement of the camera's lens only, without the camera itself moving.

Handheld Camera

An approach to operating the moving camera in which the operator holds the camera as opposed to mounting the camera on a tripod, dolly, or Steadicam. The relatively unstable frame is often used to invoke distressed states of mind or documentary realism.

Steadicam

A camera suspended from an articulated arm that is attached to a vest strapped to the cameraperson's body, permitting the operator to remain steady during "handheld" shots. This removes jumpiness and to create smooth, fast, and intimate camera movement.

Point of View (POV)

The position from which a film presents the actions of the story; not only the relation of the narrator(s) to the story but also the camera's act of seeing and hearing.

Omniscient POV

The most common point of view in film since it allows the camera to travel freely within the film, creating a god-like, unlimited perspective

Single-Character POV

• A POV that is captured by a shot made with the camera close to the line of sight of one character, showing what that person would be seeing of the action

Long Take

Also known as sequence shot. It can last anywhere from one minute to ten minutes (or in rare cases the whole film)

Special effects SPFX

A general term to refer to the technology used to create images that would be too dangerous, too expensive, or, in some cases, simply impossible to achieve with traditional cinematographic materials.