Research - Cinematography

    Hey everybody! Welcome back to the blog. For this blog post, I decided to focus on cinematography and how filmmakers use visual techniques to communicate information and meaning to the audience. I've focused heavily on story and characters so far, but now that I'm beginning to analyze the technical aspects, I'm realizing just how important they are as well. With poor editing or subpar cinematography, it's impossible to deliver the meaning that you want to convey through your film. So, to ensure it won't be an issue, myself and Tejal are researching cinematography.

Camera Shots and Framing

    The main aspect of cinematography is the type of camera shots used in a scene. Different shots provide different kinds of information to the audience.

    For example, a wide shot is often used to establish the setting and show the environment around the characters (this use is called an establishing shot). This helps the audience understand where the scene takes place, and can help to subtly immerse them in the diegesis. Another shot is the medium shot, which usually shows a character from the waist up and is often used during conversations.

    A close-up focuses on a character’s face and highlights their emotions. Close-ups are commonly used during important moments in a scene because they allow the audience to see the character’s reactions more clearly. This kind of shot is always emphasized as one of the most important, especially in dramas and romances, because it greatly helps to convey the raw emotion that the characters are feeling.

Camera Movement

    Another element of cinematography is camera movement, which can affect how a scene feels and plays out. A pan moves the camera horizontally and can reveal new information within the setting. A tilt moves the camera vertically, drawing attention to something important in the frame.

    Filmmakers also use tracking and trucking shots, where the camera follows or moves straight alongside the subject respectively. This can make the audience feel more involved in the action because they follow the character through the scene.

Lighting

    Lighting is another important part of cinematography because it influences the mood of a scene. Bright lighting can create a lighter or more positive atmosphere, while darker lighting may create suspense or tension. For a romance, you generally want to use moodier lighting in serious scenes to evoke a sense of strong emotion, but use brighter, more ethereal lighting in moments of joy or pure love.

    A common technique used in both filmmaking and interviews is three-point lighting, which includes a key light, fill light, and back light. These lights help illuminate the subject while still creating depth within the image. I also have practice with this lighting technique thanks to my expertise from my TV program, so it'll be very convenient for me to implement it.

Reflection

    Researching cinematography helped Tejal and I understand how visual choices affect the way a story is presented. Camera shots, movement, and lighting all influence how the audience interprets a scene and how they feel about the characters.

    For our film opening, we will likely use wide shots to establish the setting and close-ups to show the characters’ emotions. Thinking about cinematography ahead of time will help us plan our shots more carefully and make sure the visuals support the story we want to tell, especially when we storyboard.

Sources

• Brown, Blain. Cinematography: Theory and Practice. Routledge, 2021.
• Mercado, Gustavo. The Filmmaker’s Eye. Focal Press, 2011.
• StudioBinder. “Ultimate Guide to Cinematography Techniques.” StudioBinder.