The Spreading Of Cinematography

The Spreading Of Cinematography

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By
StudioBinder

on December 7, 2020
Watch: How Roger Deakins Learned to Light
CINEMATOGRAPHY ELEMENTS: Lighting Shot size Camera focus Shot composition Camera placement Camera movement
Roger Deakins Cinematography in 1917 • Subscribe on YouTube
Ultimate Guide to Shot Framing • Subscribe on YouTube
StudioBinder's Filmmaking Techniques Masterclass: Camera Movement
Ultimate Guide to Shot Sizes • Subscribe on YouTube
Ultimate Guide to Camera Focus • Subscribe on YouTube
Roger Deakins Film Lighting Pt. 2 • Subscribe on YouTube
Ultimate Guide to Camera Gear • Subscribe on YouTube
M aking films isn’t just an art. It takes years of practice to cultivate a consistent craft and keen eye for filmmaking. It’s what separates great cinematography from cliche movie making. You’ve probably heard the term a million times, but what is cinematography? Before honing a craft, a deep knowledge of what it entails is critical.
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Understanding cinematography goes way beyond its definition. The dictionary defines it as the “art of making motion pictures.” Okay, well that is true, but what else?
Cinematography is the art and craft of making motion pictures by capturing a story visually. Though, technically , cinematography is the art and the science of recording light either electronically onto an image sensor or chemically onto film.
Taken from the Greek for "writing with movement," cinematography is the creation of images you see on screen. A series of shots that form a cohesive narrative. Cinematography composes each shot, considering, where everything in frame demands attention.
While the director makes key decisions regarding the camera, the cinematographer actually makes it happen. One of the major considerations for cinematographers is exposure — the art of manipulating the camera settings to get the desired look of the image.
Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of cinematography, make sure to download our FREE Ebook on The Exposure Triangle to establish a foundation that all of cinematography is based on.
The Exposure Triangle is something every photographer and cinematographer needs to master. Download our FREE e-book to get in-depth explanations and tutorials on topics like aperture, ISO, shutter speed, and how to balance these settings to nail perfect exposure every time.
A cinematographer or director of photography (shortened to DP or DoP) is the crew chief that presides over the camera and light crews on a film or video production. They are involved throughout the entire production and liaise closely with the director to create the images you see.
What elements do they consider? We'll cover the basic considerations here but there is a lot more to explain about a cinematographer's duties .
Let's look to iconic director of photography, Roger Deakins, and how he shot 1917 to look like a "oner." As he explains, choosing a camera , knowing the different types of camera lenses , and lighting techniques are all part of the cinematographer job description.
In particular, these choices in 1917 were designed to give us as much of a first-person POV on the battlefield.
Where they place the camera greatly affects how the audience reacts to the shot, and therefore the rest of the scene. It can have significant emotional impact or even convey character behavior.
For example, if the story calls for a character to be seen as rude, or ill mannered while out on a date, placing the camera close to the subject’s mouth while chewing would be effective.
Here's a guide to camera framing and shot composition to give you an idea of what choices a director and cinematographer have and how those choices contribute to visual storytelling.
Camera movement can heighten the emotion and suspense in a scene. Choose to move the camera with the characters and gain perspective. Keep the camera static, and now we’re separated from them, peering in. Watch our video on camera movement below.
Composition refers to the way elements of a scene are arranged in a camera frame. Shot composition refers to the arrangement of visual elements to convey an intended message.
One visual element that must be arranged particularly is your actors. Where will they be in the frame? Watch our video below on blocking actors. It's also apart of our Filmmaking Techniques masterclass series.
Blocking and staging can be used to create dynamic frames. If you're interested, learn how to master shot composition .
How much of the scene is actually seen ? Are we in a close-up watching a subject’s face change expression? Maybe it’s an extreme close-up on a subject’s attire indicating to the audience that they should pay attention to this. Here's a video breakdown of every type of shot size .
Part of a cinematographer’s job is to play with focus to emphasize different aspects of the story. A basic example of this is showing how intoxicated the character is by going in and out of focus. There are many types of camera focus available, each with their own particular storytelling value. Here's a breakdown of focus and depth of field .
While there is a separate lighting person, cinematography demands this knowledge. After all, cinematography is what we see on-screen, and how well or horribly the scene is lit is a huge aspect of the craft.
3-point lighting is a very common lighting setup but there are many styles and approaches to lighting. For example, Rembrandt lighting brings a lot of dimension to lighting a subject's face and chiaroscuro lighting is ideal to convey dark and dangerous situations.
Here's Part Two of our Cinematography Techniques series with one of the best cinematographers , Roger Deakins.
Obviously, you need a camera but what other camera gear should you consider? A Steadicam gives the camera operator tremendous freedom but a dolly shot also gives the shot a distinct look and feel. Here's our ultimate guide to camera gear and how each piece of equipment can be used to tell a different story.
That's a lot to consider! How can you plan all of these decisions, and execute on your vision?
So, we just laid out what a cinematographer considers. And it's a lot. All of these components — shot choice, camera movement, lighting, etc. need to be laid out somewhere.
One tool that’s helpful for DP’s (and directors), are shot lists and storyboards. Usually the cinematographer and director work together to lay out their masterplan for the project.
You can learn more how to make storyboards , but we laid out an example below to give you the general idea.
With software it's easier to collaborate with department heads on all of these decisions. As long as they're invited to the project, you can leave comments in real-time, and adjust shots accordingly.
And keep in mind, as far as other cinematography tools, you can use any kind of camera to shoot a film. If you can’t afford Hollywood’s resources, you can be like Sean Baker and Radium Cheung, who shot Tangerine , an award winning film, on an iPhone.
Now that you have the basics down, let’s expand your knowledge a bit. Our next post explores craft tips you didn’t learn in film school. We go deeper into the elements of cinematography that will not only inform your craft, but inspire you to start shooting.
Create robust and customizable shot lists. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows.
StudioBinder is a film production software built out of Santa Monica, CA. Our mission is to make the production experience more streamlined, efficient, and pleasant.
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Cinematography , Documentary , Filmmaking

The Art of Cinematography: 10 Essential Documentaries

Orson Welles and Gregg Toland's camera operator, Bert Shipman, filming Citizen Kane (1941)

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The film equivalent of a stroll through the Louvre, the documentary Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography collects interviews with many of modern-day Hollywood’s finest directors of photography and is illustrated by examples of their best work as well as scenes from the pictures which most influenced them. A who’s-who of cinematographers—Nestor Almendros, John Bailey, Conrad Hall, Laszlo Kovacs, Sven Nykvist, Vittorio Storaro, Haskell Wexler, Gordon Willis, Vilmos Zsigmond and others—discuss their craft with rare perception and insight, paying homage to pioneers like Gregg Toland, Billy Bitzer and John Alton and explaining the origins behind many of the most indelible images in movie history; from Citizen Kane to The Godfather and from Sunrise to Night of the Hunter , many of the truly unforgettable moments in American film history are here in all their brilliance and glory. — Jason Ankeny, Rovi
The world’s top cinematographers discuss the art of how and why films look the way they do. Cinematographer Style is about the art and craft of cinematography. It is about how everything, from life experiences to technology, influences and shapes an individual’s visual style. Because of the powerful impact that the visual style of a movie can have, this documentary may offer contemporaries valuable insights into the dramatic choices cinematographers make. And, it is expected that the material will have significant historic value as well. The DVD of the documentary is available at Amazon . Needless to say, absolutely our highest recommendation.
An insightful documentary on one of the greatest Hollywood cinematographers, the talented John A. Alonzo, ASC (1934-2001). With more than 80 credits to his resume in a distinguished career that lasted more than 30 years, Alonzo is best known for his extensive and creative work in Chinatown (1974), which earned him an Oscar nomination. Actors, specialists and friends discuss about his life and work, and the certain lack of recognition he suffered for a certain period in the business.
Writing with Light: Vittorio Storaro (1992)—a marvelous documentary about legendary cinematographer Vittorio Storaro , one of history’s ten most influential cinematographers ( Apocalypse Now , The Last Emperor , Reds , Il Confimista , 1900 ). Vittorio Storaro talks about his work, along with collaborators like Warren Beatty and Bernardo Bertolucci and peers like Nestor Almendros. On-set footage from Dick Tracy and The Sheltering Sky . Storaro explains his zany theories about light and colour, and gives a potted history of lighting in the cinema. As far as we know, this documentary is not available on DVD.
James Wong Howe: Cinematographer . This film about legendary cinematographer James Wong Howe (1899–1976) was produced by the University Film and Video Foundation in 1990. In 2010, the UFVF Board of Trustees voted to release this film to the public on the Internet free of charge. As a Trustee of the Foundation, I am happy to do so so that we can honor such a magnificent artist. — Simon Tarr
In The Mood for Doyle (2007). Christopher Doyle is one of the best known and most acclaimed directors of photography in world cinema. Born in Australia, he sees himself as an Asian citizen rather than a Westerner. His artistic contribution to the films of Wong Kar-wai, Zhang Jimou and Fruit Chan films, among others, is indisputable. Filmed in DV and Super8, this documentary is a kind of wild and stylized road movie—from Bangkok to Hong Kong, via New York. The camera follows this eccentric and outrageous artist as he gives us his thoughts on his past and present work. From the recent sets of Invisible Waves by Thailand’s Pen ek Ratanaruang, and M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water , to the locations in Hong Kong where he shot some of his most famous pictures, such as In The Mood for Love and Dumplings , Chris Doyle talks about his cinematic fascination for Asian culture. — Mi-Jeong Lee
This documentary has not been officially released on DVD.
Cinéma Cinémas, 1984—legendary cinematographer Stanley Cortez on shooting The Night of the Hunter and working with Charles Laughton.
In this fascinating documentary, Jack Cardiff describes his superb career as one of the ultimate Technicolor cinematographers of the twentieth century, who worked on 86 films. Beginning work in 1918, he continued up until 2007, dying in 2009. Telling fascinating stories of the film production, films, directors, and actors that he worked with, Jack shows a keen sense of humor. Scorsese also offers commentary throughout. Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff is available on DVD, Blu-ray, Download & VoD .
A marvelous documentary directed by Greg Carson about the work of legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist. In 2003, Nykvist was judged one of history’s ten most influential cinematographers in a survey conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild. There is another interesting documentary about Sven Nykvist called Light Keeps Me Company (2001), directed by his son.
A moving and multi-layered portrait of veteran Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist, Light Keeps Me Company is essential viewing for film buffs—and anyone interested in the making of quality movies. The many interviews with actors and directors he has worked with should ensure the film a wider audience than usual for such fare, and pic should be a natural for major fests with documentary sections. — Gunnar Rehlin
An intimate and touching portrait of legendary Australian cinematographer Dean Semler. Winner of the best cinematography Academy Award for Dances With Wolves . After the glamour of Hollywood, he returns to his humble beginnings in country South Australia. Featuring rare behind-the scenes footage from Mad Max , The Power of One and Dances with Wolves . Directed and shot by David Brill. Edited by Simon Adams. Produced by David Brill, Claudianna Blanco and Damian McDermott.

Who knew that only 2% of cinematographers on the largest budget American films were women? And what will the world of film be like when the vision of women informs it in a fuller way? This made-by-women-for-women documentary, based upon Krasilovsky’s book of the same name, connects globally, exploring the lives of camerawomen in Canada, China, France, Germany, India, India, Iran, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, and other countries in a way never seen before. — Women Behind the Camera
What is great filmmaking, legendary Cinematographers share their personal perspectives on what they do and what it means to them.

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