Films 2 cinematography

what is cinematography

it is a process of capturing moving images on film or digital storage device.

where does the word cinematography comes from?

It comes from Greek roots: kinesis-movement, photo-light, graphia-writing. But the word itself was coined after motion pictures themselves were invented.

the beginnings of cinematography 1

1820-1880’s: the invention of photography and prehistory of cinema

the beginnings of cinematography 2

1890-1920’s: the emergence and refinement of cinematography

the middle of the history of cinematography

1930-1940’s: developments in color, wide-angle and small-gauge cinematography

later stages of cinematography 1

1950-1960’s: wide-screen. 3-d, and new color processes

later stages of cinematography 2

1970-1980’s: cinematography and exhibition in the age of the blockbuster

present cinematography

1990-present: the digital era

the anamorphic lens

used to compress the horizontal axis of an image onto a projector that then unsqueezes it to produce a widescreen image

flowers and trees

first technicolor

film format is also called

gauge

types of film formats

8 mm, super 8 mm

16 mm, super 16 mm

35 mm

65 mm

70 mm

IMAX: 10 times bigger than 35 mm

the shot

the basic unit of cinematography, a continuous point of view between two edits. During the shot the camera may move forward or backward, up or down, but the film does not cut to another point of view or image

four attributes of the shot

1. The framing of a shot: it contains, limits and directs the point of view (subjective or objective)

2. The depth of field: it is the range or distance in front of and behind the object of focus within which the object remains relatively sharp and clear

3. Color: it conveys aesthetic impressions as well as visual cues.

4. The movement: the movement of a camera or lens following action or exploring a space is called a mobile frame

canted framing

tilted shot

aspect ratio

the relationship between the frame’s two dimensions. The ratio of the width of the image to its height

masks

attachments to the camera or lights to cut off proportions of the frame so that part of the image is blocked and the eye is directed to the subject of the shot

example of a mask

the iris shot

camera distance

1. the establishing shot

2. the long shot

3. the full shot

4. the medium shot

5. the over-the-shoulder shot

6. the close-up

7. the extreme close-up

8. the deep-focus shot is usually a variation of the long shot/wide-angle shot

camera angle

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

types of camera angles

1. eye-level shots

2. the bird’s eye view

3. the high angle

4. the low angle

5. the oblique angle/Dutch angle (point of view shots)

depth of field

• deep focus: a camera technique in which multiple planes in the shot are all in focus simultaneously

  • rack focus (a pulled focus): a rapid change in focus from one object to another, such as refocusing from one face to another

contrast and color

• additive color systems (technicolor): three-color subtractive system

  • colors can be described by hue, value (degree of lightness, darkness), and intensity (brightness, dullness)

color correction

refers to adjusting the accuracy and consistency of the footage

color grading

enhancing the color style of the film