Intro to Film: Chapter 6: Cinematography

sequence shot

a shot in which an entire scene is played out in one continuous take; unified pattern of events

natural (daylight)

can be redirected with reflectors and bounce boards, diffused with panels of white called silks and shaped with black panels called flags

long-focal-length (telephoto) lens

compresses the appearance of depth, which makes distant subject look closer and makes objects and subject on different planes of depth appear to be closer together that they would appear in real life; spatial flattening effect

cinematographers responsibilities

1. cinematographic properties of the shot (film stock, lightening, lenses) 2. framing of the shot (proximity to the camera, depth, camera angle, height, scale, and camera movement) 3. speed and length of shot 4. special effects

dutch angle shot

A shot in which the camera is tilted from its normal horizontal and vertical positions so that it is no longer straight, giving the viewer the impression that the world in the frame is out of balance.

low angle shot

A shot in which the subject is photographed from below; powerful, intimidating

medium long shot (MLS)

in between medium and long shot, one or more characters, "american shot"; knees up

deep focus cinematography

keeps all three planes of depth in sharp focus; uses short focal length lens

assistant camerapersons (AC 1)

oversees everything having to do with the camera and lenses, including adjusting focus before and during the shot

steadicam

patented harness device worn by the operator and uses a sophisticated system of counterweight and hydraulics to combine the mobility of the handheld camera with the smoothness of a tracking shot

zooms lens (variable-focal-length)

permits the assist cameraperson to reduce or increase the focal length of the lens between takes or setups without having to change lens

camera operator

person who controls the camera during shots

assistant camerapersons (AC 2)

prepares the slate that is used to identify each shot and take as the camera rolls, notes the lens, exposure, and other info for each shot, and is responsible for moving the camera to each new setup

take

refers to each time that planned shot is captured; Scene 3, Shot A, Take 6

point of view (POV)

the perspective from which a story is told

lens (eye)

is a piece of curved, polished glass or other transparent material

the 3 key terms used in shooting a movie are?

shot, take, and setup

color grading

(digitally done) this is the process of improving the color of your film using effects like the "Three-way color corrector" to balance skin tones, match the color from one shot to another and ensure that your colors are broadcast safe.

examples of mechanical special effects

1. actor wearing a prosthetic nose to make him look like the subject of a biopic 2. rain is generated for a scene occurring in a storm 3. a small car is made to explode on set

3 kinds of point of view

1. omniscent 2. single-character 3. group

2 basic approaches to long takes?

1. those that exploit the mobile frame 2. those that hold the viewer in a state of relative stasis

group POV

A point of view captured by a shot that shows what a group of characters would see, but at the group's level, not from the much higher omniscient point of view.

extreme long shot (XLS or ELS)

A shot that is typically photographed far enough away from the subject that the subject is too small to be recognized, except through the context we see, which usually includes a wide view of the location, as well as general background information. When it is used to provide such informative context, the extreme long shot is also referred to as an establishing shot.

crane shot

A shot with a change in framing accomplished by placing the camera above the subject and moving through the air in any direction; is made from a camera mounted on an elevating arm.

tonality

All notes in a scale related to one central tone; range of tones from pure white to darkest black

widescreen aspect ratio

Any aspect ratio wider than 1.33:1, the standard ratio until the early 1950s.

subtractive color system (3 color) (1930's)

Creates color by subtracting or absorbing certain wavelengths of color while reflecting other wavelengths back to the viewer. Examples include photographs and printed magazines.

Color Temperature

Measures the type of light shining on an image.

dolly out

Pulling the camera backward while facing the set; relationship between camera and subject change

high angle shot

The camera is positioned above the subject; aims down at the subject; weak and small

gaffer

The chief electrician on a movie production set

implied proximity

The implied distance between the subject and the camera.

eye-level shots

The normal angle in which camera shots are filmed.

aspect ratio

The relationship of width to height in a picture or shape; frames 2 dimensions

birds eye view shot

The subject as seen from directly above

mechanical effects (celluloid era)

created and photographed on set; special effects or practical effects

rack focus

a change of the point of focus form one subject to another

long take

a shot that lasts longer than a conventional shot

codec

a specialized digital format that compresses all that pixel information into manageably sized files for editing and viewing

grip

all around general handyperson

film stock gauges

are coated with thousands of microscopic silver halide crystals that each react to light to form a tiny piece of the total recorded image on each successive frame

artificial lights (instruments-to distinguish them from the light they produce)

are designed to address a range of cinematic applications and needs

slow film stocks

are fined grained and require more light for a proper exposure; sharper more smoother image

on screen space

cinematic space that exists inside the frame; may represent what a character is looking at

off screen space

cinematic space that exists outside the frame; characters can enter or exist from any loacation of the space

iris (diaphragm)

controls the amount of light passing through

the larger the gauge the more space there is for?

crystals

open frame

designed to depict a world where characters move freely within an open, recognizable environment

closed frame

designed to imply that other forces such as fate, have robbed characters of their ability to move and act freely

camera movement

dolly hot pan shot tilt shot

camera proximity

establishing shot birds-eye view shot medium shot

loader

feeds the stock into magazines that are then loaded onto the camera

extreme close up (XCU or ECU)

fills frame with part of a subjects face or with an object revealed in great physical detail

since the 1880's movies have been shot on?

film stock; which are available in several standard formats (guages)

best boy

first assistant electrician (gaffers assistant)

medium shot (MS)

frames subjects from somewhere around the waist and up

digital imaging technician (DIT)

handle loaders responsibilities; archives and manages the digital data being captured

prime lens

has a fixed focal length; produce images sharp

normal lens

has a middle focal length

zoom lens

has variable focal length

fast film stocks

have larger crystals that need less light to record and image; make images look grainy

slow motion

higher frame rate

speed or (exposure index)

how sensitive it is to light

additive color systems (early film)

including hand-tinting and hand-coloring directly onto the physical film, were the only way to add color to early film. Because the processes were so tedious, only certain shots or scenes were colored

shot

is a building block of cinema; is one of the most common words you'll find in both filmmaking and film study can sometimes refer to a specific arrangement of elements to be captured in a particular composition from a predetermined camera position during previsualization and production process

special effects

is a general term reserved for technology used to create images that would be too dangerous

motion capture (motion tracking or mocap)

is a specific visual effect in which a live action subject wears a bodysuit fitted with refelctive markers that enable a computer to record each movement as digital images

camera crew

is divided into one group of technicians concerned with the camera and another concerned with electricity and lighting

setup

is one camera position and everything associated with it

framing

is the process by which the cinematographer or camera operator uses the boundaries and dimensions of the moving image to determine what we see on the screen

cinematography

is the process of capturing moving images on film or a digital storage device; director of photography

medium close up (MCU)

middle of chest to the top of the head

middle-focal-length (normal lens)

most shots are made with this; lenses in this range create images that correspond to our day-to-day experience of depth and perspective

dolly shot (tracking)

moving camera

2 fundamentals of light?

natural, artificial

long shot (LS)

presents background and subject information in equal measure and is as much about setting and situation as any particular character

The short-focal-length (wide-angle) lens

produces wide angle views and stretches the appearance of depth; makes the subjects on the screen appear farther and further apart than they actually are

depth of field

refers to the distance in front of a camera (and its lens) in which the subject are in apparent sharp focus

visual effects

refers to those effects created and integrated using computers in postproduction

film formats that capture and hold more fragments of visual information have higher?

resolution; more detailed and sharper images

single POV

shows us what a single character is seeing

pan shot

side to side (horizontally)

fast motion

slower frame rate

zoom in

spatial relationship between camera and subject do not change; since the camera is not moving

seperation

stefan sharff; when we experience a series of shots representing the alternating POV of 2 interacting characters; seeing characters through each other

close up (CU)

subjects face fills the frame

focal length

the distance from a lens to its focus

camera angle

the level and height of the camera in relation to the subject being photographed

viewfinder

the little window you look through when taking a picture; indicates the limited boundaries of the camera's framed perspective on the world

omniscent POV

told from an all-knowing narrator, 3rd person; shows us what the camera/narrator sees

tilt shot

up and down (vertically)

mobile framing

uses a moving camera and blocking to present multiple viewpoints, compositions, and actions within a single unified shot

digital filmaking

uses an electronic sensor that captures fragments of image information as digital pixels, which is stored onto a memory card in the form of codec

optical effects

were created by manipulating the image and/ or film negative "in camera" during production and or during the film stock processing after the negative had been exposed

slow disclosure

where the camera movement allows new information into the frame that expands or changes the viewers initial interpretation of the subject or situation