How Cinematography Works
When we talk about cinematography, what do we mean? That’s a good question! Technically speaking, when people use the term “cinematographer” they are referring to someone who works with lighting in photogenic environments.
However, since most films have more than just one or two shots, there is also a person responsible for designing those scenes’ look and feel. Their job is often referred to as that of camera director, or sometimes even visual effects (VFX) artist.
This individual designs all aspects of the film’s visual style, from choosing where and how much to focus on, to deciding whether or not to include special touches like silhouettes, reflections, or flashes.
These additional photographic elements add both flavor and texture to the scene, giving it its own unique personality.
Overall, this person has full control over the aesthetics of the movie by influencing everything from color schemes to background textures. They also make sure things like panning moves are done smoothly and naturally, so the audience doesn’t notice any hiccups.
Intermediate photographers take extra care to consider how their settings and backgrounds affect the overall mood, but outside of that they leave the visuals up to creative talent.
Camera types
A camera is either still or moving. A moving camera is referred to as a cinematographic camera. There are three main categories of cinematic cameras.
The most common type is the steadicam, which was first used in The Matrix (2001). This camera has an operator that controls the vertical position of the mount while also operating the lens.
A gimbal head is then attached to the mount that can rotate horizontally. This allows for more range of motion than just having a horizontal axis only. Some examples of uses for this include holding a boom pole up or down, or using it as a pan/tilt unit.
The third component is a counterweight, which offsets the weight so that there is no need to have someone else hold it during filming. The person handling the camera can now focus on other things like acting!
Another category is the cranes, which were mostly done away with due to their cost. However, some people use them for artistic purposes.
Camera lenses
A lens is an integral part of any camera. Depending on what kind of photography you want to do, there are different sizes and shapes of lenses that you can use.
Most digital cameras have at least one standard 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. This is a wide angle lens that allows for some dramatic landscape photos as well as close up shots.
Some more advanced cameras may offer larger 70-200 mm or even longer 200-400 mm lenses. These widerangle lenses allow for more immersive outdoor pictures and vistas, as well as closer indoor shots.
These longer lenses also give you greater depth of field which means your photo will look good regardless of whether there is a lot in front or behind the focus area.
A long distance away from you will be in focus, creating a beautiful effect.
Depth of field
A key part of cinematographic style is depth of field (DOF). The DOF is the range in focus from very close-up to far away. With nature as our main source of imagery, this element comes into play more than anything else.
When shooting landscapes or other natural settings, there are two main things that affect your depth of field. First, how wide you open up the lens can determine whether or not everything is in sharp focus. This is called shutter speed.
Second, the f/number or aperture of the lens can influence how much of the scene is in focus. An increasingly large number means less light gets cut off, and thus closer subjects remain sharper.
There are some rules of thumb for knowing what an appropriate depth of field is for a given situation. For instance, when taking landscape photos, shorter distances require longer exposure times and larger apertures so that all parts of the image are in focus. When capturing still life images, the opposite applies; long exposures and small apertures make it harder to achieve enough blur for a beautiful effect.