Production Glossary
Cinematography
Cinematography is the execution of camera and lighting choices that influence how a film tells a story. Before motion pictures employed sound, cinematography was the means by which a script’s story was told. Back then, the cinematographer took on many roles, including director. Over time, cinematography developed into an art form and specialty in film making, causing a need for a distinction from the director. However, the cinematographer and director work closely to establish the onscreen tone and direction of a film.Several different elements of film making fall into the category of cinematography. It is with these elements that a director and cinematographer translate the look and feel of a film onto the big screen.
Lighting plays a huge roll in cinematography. A masterfully lit set has the influence to evoke an emotional response from the audience. This process can take up a considerable amount of time during filming and is changed or corrected often.
A cinematographer’s choice of lens determines the overall feel of each shot. Some lenses that are used in cinematography are zoom lenses, macro lenses, wide angle lenses, borescope lenses, long focus lenses, and prime lenses. By manipulating perspective and proportion, a cinematographer contributes to the action playing out in a scripted scene.
The choice of aspect ratio manifests varying effects on tone at the technical level. Aspect ratio is the ratio of the width to height of an image. Once inhibited by a standard ratio, films are now shot in widescreen ratios, allowing cinematographers a larger space in the frame to capture the desired image.
Film stock selection influences the look and feel of a film due to the physical nature of the film itself and how the stock is processed. Elements such as film gauge, negative and reversal formats, film speed, and color contrast all alter the image that is projected on screen.
Digital cinematography has become the most common format in film making, causing the movement of camera to play larger role in the aesthetic of a film. Techniques such as panning, craning, and dollying move the audience member through the action of scene, communicating a desired mental state and eliciting a reaction.
Cinematographers utilize filters behind or in front of the camera lens to create a expressive influence or embellish the feel of the film. Filters are constructed from two sections of optical glass glued together. The silhouette of an image or a pattern or texture that manipulates light is placed in between the glass. Two examples of filters are color-effect filters and diffusion filters.
In order to determine how much of the foreground, mid-ground, and background is seen in each shot (aka depth of field), focal length and aperture are manipulated. Cinematographers use shallow focus and deep focus to pinpoint the specific person or object they desire to spotlight.
The final element of cinematography is frame rate selection. This technique is so important to film and has created many noteworthy images on screen. In order to produce the desired effect, the rate at which the action is captured mush be varied. This is accomplished through the use of slow motion, speed ramping, and time-lapse photography.
Additional sources:
The History of Cinematography
Cinematography.com
