Questions About Cinematography

As we continue to explore the art of cinematography, there are always new terms to learn or understand. And while some may seem obvious, others can be tricky. Thankfully, however, you don’t have to take our word for it! There are many people in this industry who have done a great job sharing their knowledge and experiences.

With that being said, here are seven important questions about cinematographic technique that every filmmaker should know the answers to.

What is the different types of lighting?

When creating any type of light, your camera technician will usually refer to it as either natural light, ambient light, direct light, or field light. Natural light comes from the sun or other sources within the environment you are filming in. Ambient light is also referred to as background light because it lights up the area around the subject. Direct light is when a flash or additional light source is used to directly illuminate the face or body of the person being filmed. This creates more intensity and focus for the photograph. Field light is anything that naturally emits light, such as sunlight or electrical bulbs.

Natural light is typically the best way to take pictures, but there are times when deliberate photoshopping of the image is needed. For example, if someone is holding something very close to them (like their child) then natural light may not work due to the texture of the object. By adding some indirect light or field light, the photo can be corrected. There are ways to add this light too-by placing paper bags over windows, using UV filters to reflect off surfaces, or even just having a bright flashlight next to the person.

Another option would be using an external battery powered lamp, which works similarly to a normal fluorescent tube. These lamps are designed to be placed outside or adjacent to the object being photographed so they emit enough light to make a difference.

What is the difference between color and black and white film?

There are two main types of films: Color and Black & White. A lot of movies use a combination of both, but it really depends what feeling or atmosphere you want to convey with your movie!

Color films contain more shades than black and white films do. For example, in a romantic comedy, there may be some scenes that are completely without any colors. This creates an intimate feel, which is perfect for scenes where the characters are close to each other.

In contrast, a thriller or action movie might have lots of bright flashes and strong colors. It’s up to you whether to add this kind of style, but make sure to identify what effect you want first!

There are also different ways to apply color film to create unique looks. You can choose from natural sunlight, studio light, fluorescent bulbs, and candlelight! All of these types of lighting emit various wavelengths, so you get varying levels of intensity depending on what tone you desire.

On the other hand, you can totally delete all color by using complete darkness! This is very powerful way to emphasize something or conceal something, just like how we use shadows already.

What cameras are used for film?

When talking about what camera brands or types of equipment you need to be able to shoot a movie, one thing that most people get wrong is thinking that it’s only about having the equipment, it’s also about knowing how to use the equipment.

It's very easy to buy a bunch of gear and put it through its paces in a studio setting, but going from there and actually shooting a feature length film is where things can get tricky.

The reason this is hard is because filmmaking is not a static art form; it’s an ever-evolving one. New technology comes out all the time, especially when it comes to filming. There have been many instances where filmmakers have been left with no choice than to learn a new toolset just so they can keep up.

This article will talk more about some of the different camera types and what each one is used for. But first, let us look at why buying a new piece of filming equipment is a good idea. The answer is simple: better quality footage!

Better quality footage means better final products that viewers can enjoy. This could mean sharper images, richer colors, or even improved special effects like layering or glimmering. All of these add depth to the picture and increase fidelity - important for improving the overall experience of watching your film.

There are several reasons as to why investing in professional grade filming equipment is worth the cost.

What do the different lenses on a camera do?

A lens is the tool that your photographer uses to focus light onto a sensor, where it can be recorded as an image. There are many different types of lenes!

The most common type of lens is what we refer to as a focal length. A 50mm f/1.8 prime lens will have a very narrow depth-of-field when you take photos with it, only letting in one thing into the frame. This is because it is focusing close up (wide) on something (long).

A longer telephoto lens will let in more things, creating a wider depth-of-field, which creates beautiful soft backgrounds. A 200mm f/2.8 or even 300mm f/4 professional level lens would both fit this description!

Some lenses have additional features such as special filters or motorsized components to allow for faster autofocus or electronic zoom. These are not typically included as part of the base price of a lens but may be purchased separately.

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Why Is It Important To Know How Lenses Work?
paragrahideEnsuring that people in your photographs look their natural self is a key part of cinematography. When editing these pictures later, Photoshop and other software cannot correctly process images if you did not include any kind of coverage.

There are several reasons why this is important. The first is simply aesthetic.

What is the proper white balance?

Choosing your color temperature depends on the look you want to achieve for your film! There are two main things to consider when choosing your white balance- consistency and effects.

Consistency is important because it creates an element of stability in the frame, which helps give your movie length, flow. Yours can easily be adjusted in post production if needed, but having some that match at the beginning will help make your filming more seamless.

The second thing to think about is how much control you desire over the colors in the frame. A very warm or cool looking image may not necessarily feel natural or aesthetically pleasing depending on the situation and content of the scene being filmed.

We recommend using either daylight balanced (ADB) or shade balanced (SBB) tungsten light as a source of white balance.

What is the correct exposure?

The term “exposure” refers to how much light we give your image. A longer exposure means more of the scene is in focus, while a shorter one means less is.

The length of time it takes for all parts of the picture to be in focus is referred to as the shutter speed. There are many different shutter speeds you can use to achieve this, but most people agree that using a faster shutter speed than normal is the best way to control overexposure.

By going slower than usual, the camera has to work harder to get enough light to make everything visible. This creates very blurry photos which are heavily influenced by what and where there light source is.

Experimenting with different types of lighting or moving around to new locations can help you find natural exposures of scenes.

What is the different types of editing?

Editing is one of the most important parts of filming your movie. Beyond cutting out unnecessary shots, changing or adding into the narrative, and incorporating voice-over (or even replacing the speaker’s words with your own!), there are several other types of editing that can be done.

These include:

Cutting together two separate pieces of film to make a new piece

Trimming down the length of a shot by taking out or shortening bits

Applying digital effects to change the look of the footage

Blending in additional camera angles or perspectives

Tightenings and contractions

Closing up openings

And more!

There are many ways to edit video content, and it really comes down to how you feel about the story you want to tell and what effect you want to achieve. Some people like very smooth edits where nothing jumps off screen for too long and everything seems preplanned, while others enjoy having more fluid cuts that show quick shifts of emotion.

What is a cut?

A lot of people get movie making totally mixed up with the term “cinema style”. That word doesn’t make sense until you understand what a cut actually is!

A cut in film means changing scenery or medium. For example, when watching a movie, we usually have an area where the screen is completely black. This is called the blackout. Then there are shots where the camera switches to another location or something different happens, which is known as breaking out of the blackout.

When filmmakers use these concepts in their movies, they call it cutting. The reason for this is because it creates a new scene or break away from the previous one.

This is why there are some parts of the movie that seem very fluid and natural flow of events. Because the story takes place over several scenes, the writers will sometimes skip quickly between locations or times.