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
• 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
• 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-for-
night, split screen, blow-up
• Computer/digital
Visual themes in the film
• Thresholds – doors, windows
• Hallways
• Domestic objects
• Barred windows/enclosures