How You Spell Cinematography
When it comes to cinematographic style, there are three main spelling styles you will see used frequently. They are documentary style, narrative style, and real life style. Each of these styles is typically categorized as being either close-up or wide angle filming.
A few other features that can be added into any style are slow motion shooting and flash. With all of these, however, what style you use depends mostly on the look you want to achieve for your film!
There are some basics about each style but really, every filmmaker has their own personal preferences when it comes to which they like and how they apply them. Some even mix and match different ones in various ways to get new looks!
This article will talk more about the differences between each style and some examples of each done well.
A, camera
As with any career, there are some overused terms that eventually lose their meaning. The term “cinematographer” has become meaningless because anyone can call themselves a cinematographer these days.
The word itself comes from the Greek words kina (meaning "film") and graphein (to write). Thus, someone who takes pictures of films is called a cinematic photographer or simply a cameraman!
But this isn't very specific. Only people with an advanced degree in photography can truly be considered professional photographers, but most people understand what a camera is. So, to avoid confusion, we use the more precise term cinematographer.
There are three main roles for a cinematographer. These include director of photography (DP), gaffer, and lighting technician/up-light operator.
A DP works directly with the director to create shots and advance the story by choosing appropriate angles and creating effective composition. They also manage the look of the film using light, color, and effect.
A gaffer handles all types of lights for filming including production lamps, portable generators, and traveling units. He or she also maintains and changes batteries and supplies for each light.
A lighting technician operates various tools such as strobes, softboxes, and worklights. This includes testing and preparing equipment for use in filming.
In addition to learning the basics of filmmaking, knowing how to correctly spell your profession makes you seem more credible.
E, eye
The term “eye” is usually associated with vision, but it can also refer to the camera. When you are filming cinematographic shots, your eye becomes your camera. Your eye can be still or moving so that either direction will work well.
The trick is knowing when to use which eye! Sometimes there isn't anywhere good to put the lens, so the camera body acts as the lens. At this point the whole frame is used for capturing images so we refer to these as full frame (FF) photos.
Full-frame photographs have enough room for very nice pictures so they are always worth considering. However, most cameras today don't come with lenses so using the shutter blade as a wide angle lens is not an option unless you own a panoramic tripod.
This article will talk about how to use the front element of the lens as a normal length focal length (FOV) lens. This is referred to as having a short focus limit and is typically 250-300 feet away from you.
It's important to know what distance your shot will be before calculating your FOV.
C, control
A good cinematographer will always have complete control of his or her camera. This includes moving it around, filming angles, and finding new ways to use it in each scene.
He or she will also be aware of all of the equipment needed for the shot and how to take care of it. These are just some of the things that make up this job. Being able to work with others can be another important part of the position.
A good DP has to be able to communicate well and know when to ask questions so that everything goes smoothly. They also need to be organized and keep track of what needs doing next.
Having these qualities is a must if you want to become a professional cinematograper.
L, lens
A lense is an integral part of every camera. Depending on what kind of photography you want to pursue, there are different sizes and shapes of lenses available. There are also various types of lenses such as normal lenes, wide angle lenses, and telephoto or long distance lenges.
A normale lens has shorter focal length than a longer one. For example, if you take pictures of people, a standard lens will give you close up portraits, while a longer one would give you more expansive backgrounds. This article will not go into much detail about lenses, but they are very important!
In this article I will talk about how light interacts with your lense and what that means for cinematographic style shooting. To make it simple, heavy objects in the background will be blurred out, whereas closer objects remain sharper. The trick is knowing which direction the light is coming from!
I will also discuss some basic terms related to lenses so that you can better understand how they work.
O, shot
The term “shot” is one of the most common in cinematography. It comes from the word optical and refers to taking an intentional picture or video. A shot usually starts with someone talking or doing something that requires a close up camera angle. After filming for enough time to get a good amount of content, the shooter then has to choose where to take next.
The first thing they will do is establish a medium distance between the subject and the lens. This is because you want to achieve some sense of depth by having the subject seem farther away and the lense being closer.
Next they will either move around the scene or use a pan (moving across the screen) to create a more fluid transition into the next part of the story.
After this, the photographer will pick their target, whether it be a face, action piece, etc. Once they have picked their target they will either hold the position or keep moving towards it until the whole frame is covered.
This process is repeated as needed depending on what the director wants to show us, how the character looks or reacts, and to emphasize a point.
U, edit
The next word in the filmmaking spell book is under-edited footage. A lot of filmmakers will use very expensive equipment to shoot a scene, then simply turn off the camera and leave the shot as is.
They might close the lens for some length of time before switching it back on, or they may not even switch it back on at all! If you are ever asked to do a job that doesn’t have enough money budgeted for filming, this can be a good way to get started.
By limiting yourself to only those parts of the project that have been funded, you create an opportunity for someone else to take over and complete the rest of the movie for you.
T, tone
A good level of tension is important to keep viewers engaged while you are filming your shots. Yours can be natural or deliberate - just make sure it’s consistent and feels authentic.
When creating suspenseful scenes, there are three main types of tensions that work well.
H, hit
The hardest part of being a cinematographer is making sure that you have enough money to pursue your dreams. This can be tricky as there are so many different ways to shoot a movie!
Most people start their journey into cinema by taking photography courses. While this is great for learning about light and composition, it’s not necessarily practical when it comes time to actually pay for all those expensive lessons.
Photography is a pretty universal language; anyone can pick up the basics quite easily. What really matters is having a knack for putting together pictures using lighting, perspective, and texture. Beyond that, it’t depends on whether or not you like doing things with lights.
Having a background in filmmaking is even better, but what most people don’t realize at first is that filming isn’t just limited to capturing a few shots here and there.