How Do You Describe Cinematography
When someone asks you how to do something with film, it’s helpful to have a good understanding of the overall term, cinematography.
Cinematography is what we refer to as filming or capturing light for use in movies. It can be limited to just creating beautiful sunsets or elaborate tracking shots across landscapes, but more often than not, cinematographers also work under very tight deadlines and thus have to be efficient about their approach.
Given all this, here are some tips and tricks that will help you become a better filmmaker by learning from experienced professionals.
Equipment used in cinematography
A lot of people assume that because filmmakers use expensive equipment, then their films look more professional and higher quality. However, this is not always the case!
Film stock like Kodak Tri-X or Technicolor Chianti are very affordable and will still create great looking pictures. The reason these stocks have become less popular is due to the fact that they are no longer manufactured.
By using lower end film stocks, your film can look much sharper and more detailed than before. Many filmmaker’s now prefer working with low budget film stocks so that their movie can be closer to what they really want it to be.
Another piece of camera gear that has seen a resurgence in popularity is the tripod. Before, tripods were only needed when filming lightning scenes or for large scale productions.
These days, even small production companies own at least one sturdy tripod. Why? Because many users find them to be helpful in keeping your footage fluid and natural.
The best way to ensure good flow of movement is by using a stable base. This allows you to get smoother shots without having to hold the camera too tightly or pull too hard on the trigger.
Key lighting equipment
A key light is usually one of two things: either it is a source of direct, natural light or it is an additional light that is placed directly next to other lights in order to create more overall illumination. Either way, this light is used to bring out the features of what you are trying to focus on.
The second light (or extra lamp) is a backlight, which creates shadows from what is being illuminated. This effect can be used negatively by making parts of the image look dark and heavy, but for cinematographic photos, it is very helpful to have so people will recognize who everyone is!
Other important lighting equipment includes gaffer tape, paper towels, and plastic wrap. These items are typically needed when the crew has to quickly pack up their gear after filming is done for the day.
Editor Matthew Haag wrote a great article about some common camera settings along with some tips and tricks for achieving better results.
Key camera equipment
A key piece of gear for any cinematographer is definitely the shutter speed. Yours can be very fast or very slow!
The faster your shutter, the more time you have to capture beautiful moving images. This is important when filming action scenes as well as establishing and developing stories.
A longer exposure allows more light to pass through, creating brighter shots. Shorter exposures require more powerful lights to achieve the same result. More powerful lights cost more money!
Your shutter can take many forms- digital or film. Film has much slower speeds than most people realize! There are some incredible professional grade cameras that only use 1/6400th of a second! That’s one twenty four thousandth of a second!
This is barely perceptible to the human eye! The human eye can only perceive something like 0.00004 seconds (four ten thousandths) as being exposed for enough time to see a frame.
Popular filming locations
Filmmakers use certain settings or backgrounds as integral parts of their stories. These are known as shooting locations, or placeholders for scenes.
Many films feature several such locations in different cities or countries across the globe. Some even have you exploring or interacting with the surroundings to tell your story.
Certain landmarks or environments help convey a sense of time period or location. The setting and background of a movie can influence how people perceive others and society at large.
Films often highlight societal issues and questions that relate to today’s life. Others focus more on entertainment, making it interesting to watch. Either way, studying film is an excellent way to learn about our world.
Here we will discuss some popular filming sites and what filmmakers used them for.
Popular movie genres
A lot of people describe cinematography as “pretty pictures.” While this is very true, it leaves out an important element: how the camera adds to or takes away from the story being told.
Some films use slow motion extensively to add dramatic effect while other movies will quickly cut shots for emphasis. Some stories require close-up shots to emphasize certain points, while others feel more distant so they can show greater scope.
The way that the director uses his/her tools to tell their story comes down to who they are as filmmakers and what style they want to convey.
There are many different types of filmmaking, and everyone has their own style. It is important to recognize your film genre and what styles fit those categories!
These movie genres include action, drama, horror, comedy, documentary, etc. If you ever have a chance, watch some of these films to see how the cinematographers used their skills to tell their story.
For example, in action films we often see lots of quick cuts between various angles of the scene to give the feeling of speed. In suspense dramas, we may be given long stretches where nothing happens because the audience wants something to happen, creating tension. Documentaries often focus on one thing for a longer period of time to get a deeper understanding of it.
This article will discuss some of the most popular movie genres and what qualities each genre requires.
Tips for cinematography
Technically, filming is described as cinematographic or cinematic photography. This term comes from the word cinema which was originally coined in France to describe an exhibition of moving images that have become popular ever since.
Since then, the term has been adapted to refer to any type of filmed image that resembles a movie. Some people even use the terms motion picture or film when referring to these types of movies!
However, while there are some similarities between shooting a still photo and shooting a feature length movie, there are also several key differences.
This article will discuss some tips on how to achieve great looking cinematographic photos with your camera! These tips can be applied to both beginners and advanced users so no matter what level you are at now, check out this article until the end.