Cinematography and videography

Conveying meaning visually

• Semantic and iconic representation • Iconic:– Cinematography/videography– Direction/blocking– Set design– Costuming/makeup– Visual effects– Editing

Process• Pre-production

– Storyboarding: The director develops a set of shots to go with the proposed story (scenes, etc.) to be used to manage production

– Production design: Sets, finding locations, etc.• Production

– Camerawork– Set design– Blocking

• Post-production– Editing– Visual effects/compositing

Storyboarding

Cinematography/videography

• The art and science of capturing the visual content necessary to construct the narrative on film or videotape

Major concerns• What will be included in each shot?

– Framing and composition• What position will the camera take with regard to the mise-

en-scene?– Distance– Angle– Movement

• What will be in focus/out of focus?• How will the scene be lit?• How will color and tint affect the images?• How sharp will the image be?

Camera position: Distance from subject

• The physical distance of the camera (viewpoint) from the subject affects the audience reaction to the scene– The shorter the distance, the more likely the

audience is to identify with the actor/character– The ‘closer’ the audience member is to the

character the more powerful the emotional reaction• Can see the actor’s face, body movement, etc.

Distance from subject

• When the camera is ‘far away’ from the subject, it can provide a great deal of information about the scene, the context, action other than that engaged in by the subject, etc.– Allows audience to make sense of what is going on

in the scene• “Establishing shot”

Deep v. shallow space

Distance from subject

Source: David Chandler

Depth of field

• The size of the area that is in focus in a shot– Lenses vary in the depth they bring into focus,

image size, etc.

Deep v. shallow focus

• Choice of lenses• Experience of depth• Breadth of focused field• New lenses allow for focus throughout a

very deep field• Focus does not have to be fixed– Zoom lens

Deep v. shallow focus

Wide angle lens Telephoto lens

Zoom in Track in

Pulling/rack focus

Angle to subject

• When the subject is ‘below’ the audience member it tends to make the subject seem weak or pitiful

• When the audience is looking ‘up’ at a subject it tends to make that subject look powerful or in command

• These are tendencies and are not universally true

Angle to subject

Camera movement

Camera movement

• Modern technology has allowed for much greater camera mobility than was the case in early film or television

• Dollies/tracks• Cranes• Wires• Hand-held– Steady-cam

Camera movement• Rotation/pivot of the camera while on a fixed stand:

– Up and down: tilt– Side to side: pan– Turn: roll

• Camera stand moves:– Side to side: Usually called tracking, but may be called trucking,

crabbing or dollying– Forward or backward: Usually called dollying but may be called

tracking, trucking or crabbing– Up or down: Pedestalling (Ped up or down)

• Movement that goes in multiple directions and usually requires a crane is ‘craning’

Smooth v. shaky movement

• Hand-held• Steadycam• Motion control

Functions of camera movement

• Reframing– When a character moves, camera moves to

provide adequate headspace, avoid cutting off limbs, etc.

– Helps fix the viewer’s eye on important characters and objects

Functions of camera movement

• Following– Maintain contact with a character

Functions of camera movement

• Direct audience to information unknown to characters– Identify important information that will be used

later in the narrative

Functions of camera movement

• Help to create suspense or surprise– Prevent the audience from seeing something until

the last second

Functions of camera movement

• Provide a particular position for the viewer– Omniscient– Subjective– Objective

Lighting(www.tvcrit.com)

Three point lighting

Key light Fill light Back light

Multi-camera production

Single-camera production

High key lighting

Low key lighting

The Man Who Wasn’t There

Citizen Kane

Film exposure

• Overexposure makes film look grainier and in higher contrast and saturates the colors

• YALE FILM STUDIES• Film Analysis Web Site 2.0