How To Make Good Cinematography
As we already mentioned, cinematography is a very artistic discipline that covers everything from filming landscapes, people, or events to capturing interesting close-ups and establishing eye-catching compositions. Beyond just looking pretty, great cinematographers also create suspenseful scenes with their editing and use of light, vibrant color schemes, and fluidly moving shapes and forms.
When it comes to choosing your shooting locations, there are two main theories about whether using natural settings or artificial ones is better. Natural settings like beaches and forests tend to have more rich colors than bright or neutral shades, which some feel is more aesthetically appealing. Artificial environments like shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants usually feature enough ambient lighting for good photos, but not much else.
This article will go into more detail about each part of filmmaking including how to make good cinematography.
Pay attention to lighting and composition
A good cinematographer is someone who knows how to use light effectively in every frame of a movie. They understand what effect each light has on the shot, and how to control them.
A great deal of their influence comes from choosing smart lights and working with them intelligently. This includes both natural suns and artificial light sources like lamps or flash.
They also know when it’s time to pull out the big guns and when simpler, more cost-effective solutions will do the trick. All this adds up to make beautiful, well-composed shots that tell a story.
It may sound simple, but there are lots of aspiring filmmakers who don’t pay enough attention to lighting. Sure, they may have a few tricks here and there, but nothing beyond basic Houserays and backlighting.
And while those can look nice once in a while, if you want to take your craft seriously then you need to expand your repertoire.
Learn to use different lenses
A lens is the tool that photographers use to focus light onto a camera sensor or film, thus creating an image. There are many types of lenses!
There are two main categories: wide-angle and telephoto (or long distance) lenses. A wide angle lens has a wider field of view than a normal lens, making everything seem bigger. A telephoto lens gets longer as you zoom in, giving a very striking sense of depth.
A third type of lens is a fisheye - these have a completely circular focal length. Because it omits part of the frame, this creates a totally unique effect, like looking at the world through a window.
All three of these types of lenses are used for cinematographic filming. By having more space, they can create some cool effects. They also give you a feeling of being immersed in the scene because nothing is blocked out.
If you’re already familiar with using Photoshop or other photo editing software, then try experimenting with the settings for special effects. You may find something new you want to add!
Note: When altering exposure, be careful not to overexpose or under-exposure your picture too much, as this was what took away from the original intensity.
Practice filming in different settings
As we have discussed, being able to capture good cinematography is more than just knowing how to use your camera. It takes having a knack for creating natural light by understanding lighting sources, recording with shutter speed and iso level that make sense, and using coverage effectively.
But one of the most important things to learn as a filmmaker is how to use tone and atmosphere to tell your story. The way you color grade your film, background noise like music or everyday sounds, and the overall feel you give your movie are very significant.
What I mean by this is giving your audience a feeling they get when watching your movie. A lot of it has to do with what type of movie you want to make.
If your dream is to direct feature films, then learning about cinematic styles is an important part of your education. But if your goal is to become a successful indie filmmaker, then exploring other genres and mediums can help!
There are many ways to achieve this. One of my favorites is to take some time to practice shooting in different environments and moods. You could try taking pictures at home, outside, or somewhere else around town.
Whatever you choose, keep it casual. No need to spend money unless you really wanted to add some cool props or decorations. Just because something looks pretty does not mean it will work well in your movie!
That was a tip I learned early on in my career as a photographer.
Be consistent
As we have discussed before, cinematographers spend a lot of time developing their craft. This includes learning how to use different equipment, filming styles, and techniques. They also invest in training courses and seminars to hone their skills more.
All this effort means they will probably look very professional at times! But what if you are not?
Doesn’t matter how hard you try to achieve that look, it can be quite difficult to match. And even when you think you have got it, you might need to do something else to keep up with your own style.
This could be trying new camera settings or looking into other photographic genres to see how they get used in storytelling. If you are ever feeling tired or distracted during shooting, check out some of these tips to help refresh yourself.
Ask for feedback
Asking other people about your work is one of the most important things you can do as a photographer or filmmaker. Get into the habit of seeking out reviews, comments, and messages from others on social media, websites, and through email and phone conversations.
If you’re just starting out in this industry, chances are there are not very many people who know what you're doing so it's easy to feel discouraged when you read negative comments.
But instead of letting that negativity push you down, use those remarks to improve yourself!
The more people talk about your work, the better you will get at capturing beautiful images and storytelling through photography and filmmaking.
Dress the part
A good starting place is renting or buying some gear and experimenting with it. There are many online resources and videos where you can test out different settings, camera positions, and filming styles to see what works for you as an artist.
Cameras come in all shapes and sizes so picking one up isn’t a big deal unless you don’t have any equipment already!
Once you find your style, then start investing more heavily in those parts of the kit. Keep looking into new cameras, lenses, and lighting sets to stay inspired. You will also need a computer to edit your films down so make sure to pick one up soon!
Having a basic knowledge of Photoshop and other editing software is helpful too since you will be working with pictures that have been taken by someone else. Becoming familiar with these programs will help you do things like color correct, lighten or darken images, cut pieces off, add special effects, and enhance textures.
There are plenty of free ones available such as Gimp which most people have installed automatically when they use their laptop or PC.
Find the right gear
A great cinematographer is not someone who has lots of fancy equipment, nor are they necessarily professional level photographers. They have good moral qualities, and they know how to use their camera effectively.
A good photographer is also able to recognize a bad photo even if they had never seen one before. And there’s no way to learn this skill without experiencing it at some level.
Some starting points for achieving this include taking photography courses or reading beginner's books about Photoshop and other software programs. You can also take pictures with your phone and computer apps!
In addition to having all the necessary camera equipment, what really sets a great cinematographer apart is being familiar with different cameras.
Think about the story
As we mentioned before, cinematographers are really good at what they do because of how well they understand storytelling. They pay close attention to not only the narrative of the movie, but also the tone and style that tell the story.
As you begin your journey as a filmmaker, it’s very important to develop your sense of aesthetics. Your personal style will influence the kind of stories you want to make.
Think about it - when was the last time you watched a horror film or action flick that didn’t look cool? The graphics, the lighting, the music, everything contributes to making the audience feel something beyond just excitement.
Photography is a form of art, so why not apply some artistic concepts to your films? Having an eye for design can help you convey messages more effectively.
And while it may sound like a cliché, true filmmaking comes down to telling a powerful story with passion. A great DP can contribute greatly to this by investing in interesting camera angles, strong compositions, and overall mood setting.