What Cinematography Means

As we have seen, cinematographic style is an integral part of creating cinematic stories. Not only does it influence how people perceive your movie, but it also impacts what kind of movies are made.

As you begin to explore other styles, make sure to compare them with the original cinema style to see if they fit better. If you feel that their qualities appeal to something in this style then perhaps incorporating some into yours is needed!

There are many ways to approach photographic storytelling. Many believe that the best way is natural light, while others prefer studio lighting or even experimental approaches like time-lapse photography.

Some use special effects for impact whereas others think they distract from the story. Some focus more on still images while others experiment with moving pictures as well.

All these different styles can be incorporated into yours, and even mixed together to create new looks and features. This article will go over some basics of each so that you know which ones exist and what purposes they serve.

Definition of film

A movie is a collection of images or shots that are connected to tell a story. The stories in movies can be narrative (telling a sequence of events) or thematic (focused on an idea or concept). Either way, it’s the use of pictures or shot sequences that make up the movie that makes it interesting.

There are five main things that define what kind of cinematographer you are:

Focus on storytelling

Use natural light when possible

Add beauty through lighting

Embrace experimental style filming

Know your tools, how to use them, and where to place emphasis while using them

All of these qualities are important to know as a cinematic photographer. While some people may not agree with one thing you do or something else you like, that’s okay!

What about the term “film professional?” Some say this only applies to those who have graduated college with a degree in photography, but I disagree.

Being a good filmmaker doesn’t require going to school anymore. You don’t need to be trained in camera technology, editing, sound production, etc. But being able to take your own ideas and apply them into creating engaging stories for the screen is a skill that most anyone can achieve.

Definition of photography

A photograph is an image or a recording that is created using light to expose a medium, such as paper, glass, metal, or any other surface. It is the exposure of light onto the media that determines what colors you see in the picture.

Photos are typically composed of one main element: light. The brighter the light source, the higher the intensity of color seen in the photo. Conversely, lower light sources produce softer images with less contrast.

In cinematographic filming, this process is extended into moving pictures. When shooting a movie, there are many different types of lights used to create shots. These include natural sunlight, studio lighting, electrical bulbs, and others.

The type of light chosen for a particular shot can affect how the scene looks. For example, when taking photos outside, sunsets are most likely going to be lit by sunset rays. If a film crew wanted to shoot a similar setting, they would have to use artificial light or start early to capture it.

Definition of capture

When you feel that there’s something about a scene or piece of film footage that grabs your attention, gets under your skin, and keeps pulling you in, then it has “captured” you - made an emotional connection.

It’s like when we watch a movie and are completely drawn into the characters: their emotions, their fears, their hopes.

And it’s why films can be so powerful. The way the camera captures reality and adds some extra oomph to the scenes is what makes them work.

That includes using long exposures or tracking shots, which let you see more than one moment in time. A lot of great stories start with someone (or something) grabbing our attention and keeping us engaged.

A good cinematographer will use whatever tools they have to make sure his or her audience is connected to the story.

Definition of eye

The eye is your perception tool, you use it to see something or someone. It comes down to how well you are able to focus attention on objects or people in order to perceive what they are doing or saying.

With regard to film, the term ‘cinema’ usually refers to the process of recording images onto celluloid (film). After developing the film, the next step is editing the movie so that everything fits together coherently and effectively.

During this stage, the editor typically cuts out parts of the movie that are not needed for the story being told. This is called cutting or sometimes referred to as taking out shots. By removing these unnecessary bits, the viewer is left with an understanding of who, what, where and when important events took place within the movie.

A cinematographer (or camera operator) helps direct the audience's attention by choosing the appropriate angles and compositions of each shot. They also make sure the light source is effective and natural looking. A good DP will be familiar with many types of lighting, from daylight to candlelight to torchlight to gelled lights to flash.

In addition to getting the right angle, some DPs add aesthetic touches such as moving through a space or setting up a scene in ways that create an immersive feel. All of these contribute to creating a sense of flow, forward movement towards a climax, like a narrative movie would have.

Definition of lens

A lens is an element in a camera that allows you to change how your image looks, by acting as either a wide-angle or short focal length (zooming in) lens. Lenses can be made of glass, plastic, or metal.

The size and shape of a lens determine what it will do to your photos. The bigger the lens, the wider its angle of view. A long, thin lens acts like a barbell - it gets close to the subject and then pulls back. This creates very narrow, tall images.

A normal lens takes up about three inches off the barrel of the camera body, making it able to capture large areas of the scene. Because it comes so close, however, it may not show all of the details in the picture.

A telephoto lens has longer focal lengths, creating pictures with more emphasis on one thing in the frame - for example, a person’s face over everything else.

Definition of light

A defining feature of cinematographic filming is its use of light to create an effect. When lighting something, how much and what type of light you have can make a difference in the feel of the scene.

A little bit of natural sunlight gives an air of serenity, while strong artificial lights give more intensity and focus.

The way light reflects off of objects also makes a difference. If nothing but bright flashes are used as illumination, it creates a very stark look that cuts out important pieces of information.

Using soft, ambient light helps tell the story by creating a sense of relaxation or even intimacy. This was the case with our example video where we looked at some of Jasmine’s favorite movies.

Definition of dark

Defining darkness can be tricky, but we’ll go with our own personal rule here at TheFilmSchooler.com - if there is no light in the frame, it’s considered “dark”.

There are two reasons for this. First, when nothing beyond the frame is illuminated, your viewer is left to interpret what parts of the picture are important - and thus, what parts of the story they are trying to tell you.

Second, filmmakers use contrast to emphasize different elements in a scene. Things that are similar (like both characters wearing black clothing) will create some dramatic effect because of opposite relationships between them. A person in a white shirt next to someone in a red one will look much more striking than the same people dressed similarly without any other colors around them.

When creating a dark environment, consider using natural light or candlelight rather than direct sunlight. This creates an interesting juxtaposition as well as emphasizing the darkness.

Definition of clear

So what does it mean to say that something is cinematic? It means having lots of things happening in the frame, whether it’s people talking, action or both.

It also means using long lenses to add depth to your shots, but keeping the frames short so you don’t lose focus. A lot of cinematographers use wide-angle lenses for this very reason!

And finally, it means being able to create suspenseful moments by adding silence into the picture. When someone says nothing except for their face, their body language, and some background noise, they can create an insane amount of tension.