How To Describe Good Cinematography

As discussed in other parts of this article series, cinematographers play an integral part in creating cinematic stories through their use of lighting, filming styles, and overall coverage. While some people may describe certain shots as beautiful or interesting, few can tell you what qualities make up that description.

It is important to have knowledge about good camera angles, depth perception, proportions, and more when describing how well someone filmed a movie! These concepts should be applied to not only full-length movies but also short films.

This article will go into detail on several key aspects of good camerawork including shutter speed, focus, natural light, continuity modes, and more. By having a basic understanding of these fundamental pieces, you’ll know what to look for in a shooting style and film genre.

Look at the composition of the image

A good starting point for describing good cinematography is looking at the composition of the shot. You can also describe it as how the camera moves, light in the room, or the use of lighting.

A basic rule of photography is that the closer you get to nature, the more natural the images look. This does not mean boring, but rather quiet and steady photographs with little to no movement.

Cinematic style pictures are very different. They are always moving, typically fast! The reason for this is because movie screens are large compared to televisions, phones, or computers where films can be displayed.

By having a faster paced photograph, your viewers’ eyes do not have time to feel relaxed and focused, thus creating an effect similar to watching a TV show instead of a film.

There are many ways to achieve a cinematic photo such as using a wide-angle lens, shooting hand held, or even filming yourself walking down a set hallway. All of these work due to the size of the screen and length of the video.

Look at the details

A good cinematographer will spend time looking beyond the main subject of the frame. They look for interesting background patterns, shapes, textures, or other features.

They also pay attention to small things like how some light is reflecting off of an object or whether something looks naturalistic or stylized.

In addition to that, they explore what parts of the frame are empty. Are there any white spaces or pieces missing?

These types of shots add depth to the picture because it creates more interest. There’s nothing wrong with taking pictures that have lots of detail, but not all scenes need this much coverage.

It depends on the story you want to tell and the mood you want to create. If your movie has very emotional moments, then maybe less is better.

You can always edit over-the-top photos later if you must! But make sure they fit the tone of the scene.

Recognize good camera angles

A well-shot movie is one that uses interesting, creative, and/or beautiful camera angles to tell its story. It may use long or short shots, close up or distant ones, steady handoffs or quick cuts, etc.

Many people describe cinematography as “vivid” or “colorful” but those are very general terms. What they really mean is that the film maker used certain colors for the setting, manipulated them to create moods, and incorporated shades and textures of the area being filmed.

Overall texture, color intensity, contrast, and shape all play important roles in how effective a shot is.

Keep in mind that while some people may not like a particular shot, there other ways to achieve the same result without using that angle.

Take a look at these examples. Can you identify what type of shot each one is?

The first two shots were both taken with a tripod, so they are considered neutral. They show only the background and nothing more. The third was took handheld, which means it was done by having the photographer hold the camera still and shoot quickly. This can be tricky sometimes!

The fourth and fifth pictures were both focused directly into a face. A person could easily miss the whole thing because the eye is already covered. By doing this, the director creates an intimate atmosphere. These types of shots are usually just for a few seconds, unless something happens soon after.

Pay attention to color

A good cinematographer will keep looking into the lens, trying to find something interesting in terms of light or color. They will use these observations to add more depth to the film by incorporating them into the script.

Color can be used for many things; setting tone, emphasizing certain elements, creating emotional responses. The best DP’s know how to use it effectively!

A common mistake that new DPs make is using too much color. When there are very few shots where there is no background color, your viewer becomes desensitized. It takes time to learn when enough is never enough!

There are several types of colors that a DP uses in filmmaking. These include warm colors, cool colors, neutral colors, and contrasty colors.

Each type of color has their place and what effect they create for the movie. A good DP knows which ones work well and which ones do not.

Look at the pacing of the video

A good movie camera angle or position is one that leaves you feeling relaxed, stimulated, and engaged. It should make you feel as if you are watching the film in your own home, with only yourself for company.

The reason most videos look so busy and cluttered is because the director, producer, and/or cinematographer have to be too creative about how they shoot their scenes. They might need to use more than one close-up, for example, which requires them to find different angles and distances to add depth to the storytelling.

They may also want to include some type of effect like lightning, smoke, or fog, which can call for an appropriate amount of coverage.

So instead of having a boring scene due to no creativity, there was a need to be very inventive with the shots used to tell the story. This could result in very crowded footage that looks messy and distracting.

See how the director uses camera movements

Another way to describe good cinematography is knowing when to use moving cameras. This is when the photographer or filmmaker adds some sense of movement to the picture by having the camera move.

Using a panning shot, for example, the camera moves across the frame horizontally as it looks at something or someone. A vertical pan is when the camera moves up or down an object or area.

A dolly track is when the camera actually rolls along a set surface or distance.

Is there a close up?

A good cinematographer will definitely use long lenses, but not just for establishing shots or background features. They will also use them for some one-on-one scenes. When taking pictures of someone or something specific, they will usually take a closer look by using a short lens (a field of view of about 2 feet).

This is because most people don’t like looking into longer distances, so having a shorter lens makes it more comfortable. If your friend loves photography, ask if they have ever done this before!

There are two reasons why having a one-foot distance shot is a great way to describe someone or anything. First, it creates an intimate feel, as if you are in a room with only these individuals. The other is that it helps focus attention solely on what the person is doing without distractions from outside the frame.

Both of these apply to storytelling in general, but when used properly it can add significant depth to the picture.

Pay attention to lens quality

A good camera is not just something with a big sensor, a fast shutter speed, and AI or computerized modes. These are all very important parts of great cinematographic photography, but they do not make up the whole story.

A good camera will create good images only if you pay close attention to its quality. Lenses start to break down at the molecular level, so to speak.

This means that even after filming has ended, the optical qualities of the glass still affect how well your photos come out. The better the quality, the higher quality photographs you can expect.

There are many different qualities in lenses, like resolution, acuity, sharpness, contrast, etc. Some cameras have special features that try to automatically adjust these for you, but it’s always best to know what each one does before relying on them.

Resolution is simply the number of pixels in an image, while acuity is the size of those individual pixels. Higher resolutions mean more detailed pictures, but not every person wants this.

Some people prefer their pictures slightly blurred as part of the aesthetic value. This is called soft focus, and most professional photographers use manual settings to achieve it!

Sharpness refers to how sharply edges (the lines between objects) appear, and contrast how much everything contrasts with each other.