How Does Cinematography Affect The Audience
When talking about how cinema impacts people, there is one major element that makes a difference-the camera. Different cameras bring out different emotions in viewers depending on what they see the screen as.
The way the camera uses light to show off or conceal things is very important. A well planned use of lighting can make scenes seem dramatic or comedic.
This article will talk more in depth about some of the settings cinematographers use to achieve this. It will also discuss why these settings work on different emotions.
Depth of field
A key part of cinematographic style is depth of field (DOF). DOF refers to the range in focus from very close up to extremely distant objects. The longer the focal length, the greater the distance that can be included in this range. This effect is typically called “zoom” or “focus pull.”
With regard to still photos, having a wider DOF means there are more areas of the image that are not in focus. For example, if you take a picture of the beach with a wide lens, then some parts of the water are overexposed and look blurry. If you have a camera with small DOFs, it will only include the area closest to you in its focus- such as your nose!
This does not apply much when filming moving subjects because anything beyond your character or vehicle is already out of focus due to the speed of the shot. When shooting action, instead of using a long lens, we use a short one so that everything is covered by the narrow aperture.
This way, however, things like cars, people, and buildings get distorted as they move away from you. These effects are sometimes referred to as étalé or boisée. Étalé creates an artistic effect while boisée is more practical since everything appears sharper.
When talking about étalé, there are two main reasons why it is used.
Background elements
As we discussed, cinematographers play an important part in shaping how audiences perceive a film. They create background settings and decorations for the frame to include or exclude depending on the story being told.
Settings such as windows, doors, and other openings can be used to emphasize an idea or convey information about the character. For example, if the movie is focused on action, the audience might not pay much attention to what position the window is in unless there’s something happening outside of it.
But if the scene is more about establishing characters, then the audience will probably take their time exploring those backgrounds.
There are many ways that artists use this technique, but one thing they all have in common is that they are very careful with shades and colors.
By limiting the number of colors in the setting, the artist is emphasizing importance by creating a muted space or introducing some sense of calm. This works well when trying to establish a feeling or concept like loneliness, relaxation, or tranquility.
Another way they use this approach is to focus on the silhouettes of objects instead of including any specific features. This removes color and shape from the picture so that the mind fills in its own ideas.
Steadiness of shot
As we discussed, cinematographers use several tools to achieve this steady camera angle. The most important one is probably using a tripod.
A good way to determine if your current or potential movie director uses tripods is to look at their filming style. If they don’t have many props, then it may indicate that they don’t use them much. Or, maybe they just don’t like having lots of clutter around.
If you watch some movies, you will notice that there aren’t too many shots where the cameraperson isn’t holding something. This could be because they used a tripod and didn’t need to hold anything else, or because they controlled everything else (like a dolly) and so weren’t needed in front of the camera for extra stability.
By having a solid base, the photographer doesn’t have to worry about things moving and/or slipping off the plate. This also helps with smooth edits, as nothing is left hanging or out of place.