How To Pull Focus In Cinematography

When it comes down to it, pulling focus is just about having enough of something and then letting your audience know what that thing is.

It’s like when you’re in a room with someone and they keep talking while you want to do something else. You get distracted by their silence so you start doing other things or giving up completely.

That’s how focusing works. You lose focus sometimes (i.e., being interrupted), but at least you made a choice not to listen.

By using pull focus during filming, you can create some incredible shots. It’s an effective tool for aspiring cinematographers who are looking to add this trick to their repertoire.

There are several types of pulls used in filmmaking, but our main topic here today will be frame-by-frame examples of direct pull. These are probably the most common type of pull used because they are very straightforward.

Direct pulls work best when the audience is already invested in one element - such as watching a person speak or listening to a song - before the camera shifts its attention somewhere new.

This gives them time to process what was happening earlier and creates more dramatic tension. If nothing important is occurring, the pull becomes unnecessary and even distracting.

But when there is something significant going on, the effect still works well. This article will talk about some tips and tricks for applying direct pulls effectively.

Create an effect with a pull focus lens

A pull focus lense is one that gets longer as it approaches its target. The length of this lengthening is typically quick, but not necessarily so. Some lenses have slow focal lengths that are able to achieve pull focus.

A pull focus can be used for many different purposes, depending on what context you put it in. When used for storytelling, it creates anticipation. You may use a pull focus while filming your subject to create interest or to emphasize something important about them.

For example, if you were making a movie about two people who discover true love, then during the final scene of the film, one person would walk away while the other stays behind. The staying person will look through their phone or something similar while the walking person walks off into the distance.

This creates an interesting juxtaposition of events because we get left hanging wondering whether they’ll ever find each other again. Or maybe there’s going to be a thunderstorm and they run outside together to make some sweet kisses.

Use a shallow depth of field

A key part of pull focus is using a short depth of field, or how close you are to your subject as it comes into and out of focus. This creates an interesting effect where parts of the image go in and out of focus, creating a sense of movement.

By having a shorter depth of field, the viewer must work more to determine what is going on in the photo and who or what is being focused on.

This can be used for dramatic effects, making the picture seem very stylized or even surreal. Or, if done correctly, the person in the photograph may not even recognize themselves at first!

There are several ways to use this trick in photography. The easiest way to do so is by using a lens with a large aperture, which allows less light to get through and therefore a longer exposure time.

A long exposure will give you that slow motion effect.

Create a dark background

A pull focus shot is typically done in either very early morning or late evening when there are few people around and it’s easy to get some shadows.

A pull focus shot creates a sense of mystery by showing part of your main character and then drawing attention to something else. In this case, the other person or element comes forward as they are focused on more strongly.

This effect can be used for good or bad

If you want to learn how to create a better pull focus effect, then start practicing now! There are many ways to do so, but we will go over one here that can help improve your cinematography skills.

The basics of creating a pull focus effect

Here are some basic tips on how to create a pull focus effect. Make sure to take your time to practice these out properly before adding anything extra. These ideas could also be adapted to use another type of pull focus like reverse pull focus or parallel pull focus.

1. Use strong diagonals

When taking a pull focus photo, make sure to add diagonal lines into the frame. This adds emphasis to the image which makes it more interesting. Try using natural objects or props to add such lines.

Keep going until you have enough vertical and horizontal lines to create an almost geometric pattern. Add as much decoration as possible without being too busy!

2.

Use natural light

When it comes down to it, most people are not using their own talent as photographers or cinematographers. They look at themselves as not being good enough so they never invest in learning how to do things properly.

There is no need to be too hard on yourself! Just because you’re not a professional photographer or filmmaker doesn’t mean that you can’t pull focus.

It takes lots of practice, but anyone with a mobile phone can experiment and pull off some cool effects. So why don’t you give it a try?

You could take some very close-up pictures and see what kind of effect you can get by manipulating your camera settings. Or maybe you’ll find something beautiful about moving lights that illuminate someone else for an extended period of time.

Use a reflector

A great way to pull focus is using a white or silver reflective surface as your source of light. This can be done professionally through camera rental companies or via online sources like Amazon or Walmart.

A common place to use this technique is during wedding ceremonies, where the bridesmaids’ dresses are typically short and they will pass in front of the main character (the groom). By having each bridesmaid walk next to a friend with their back to the main character, then have them turn around and face him/her, you create an effect of soft focus and hidden characters.

This also works for passing cars during car chase scenes. The driver passes another vehicle, and then turns back towards the audience, creating more depth perception.

Use a green screen

A pull focus is when part of the background or foreground of a still image becomes more prominent, creating an effect like you are pulling away from or towards something.

A great way to do this is by using a green screen!

A green screen allows you to create your own background or foreground by putting in a layer of plastic that can be adjusted later. You can then film yourself in front of it and use photoshop or other software to composite the shot.

By filming yourself directly against the wall or floor where there is no camera angle, you can add in any kind of backdrop you want! This includes adding in another person, furniture, etc.

This was done for our article link above as we used a close up of a flower to pull out. By having someone else in the frame, it gives some depth to the picture and makes it feel more real.

Interior design is one of my favorite things to shoot so using greenscreen and people has become quite popular. And since interior pictures have limited angles, using a grereen screen really adds to the setting of the photo.

Create a composited image

A pull focus is typically created using two separate pictures that are then put together in photoshop or a similar editing program. The effect is achieved by having one picture be in focus, and the other not-so-focused.

The focused picture is then manipulated so that it seems like it’s coming out of the background filmstrip as before. This is called compositing.

After creating your pulled focus shot, you will need to matte the longer exposure piece (the one being blurred) onto the shorter exposure piece (the one staying sharp). There are several ways to do this, but the most common way is UV matting.

What is a UV layer?

A UV layer is an additional layer in Photoshop or Lightroom that does not show up when looking at the photo through normal lens settings. It is only visible when there is light source illumination such as sunlight or flash.

This helps make the second part of the photograph blend into the first part, giving the illusion that the first part has vanished and the second part has appeared.

Tell your friends

As we discussed, telling people about your passion is one of the best ways to gain inspiration and encouragement for life. By sharing what you love with others, they can learn from you and help you grow.

By having other individuals inspire you, it creates an internal motivation to keep developing your talent.

Everyone has different talents - some are very good at drawing, writing, or designing. Why not use these skills to motivate each other? Or maybe you’re very talented in something practical like cooking or carpentry.

We all have things that we are passionate about so why not share this information with others? It’s a way to give back and be supportive of each other’s dreams!

Make sure to include detail about the lifestyle associated with being a professional photographer, such as how to take excellent pictures of yourself, how to manage your time effectively, and how to make money off of your photography.

General tips such as “always put effort into your work” and “don’t worry about anything else but your artistic expression” should also be mentioned.