"What is Cinematography" provides a detailed description of the cinematographer's tools and their application in the art of filmmaking.

You will learn:

Cinematography Overview

What is Cinematography?

• Identify the artistic and technological elements of cinematography.
• Describe how a cinematographer creates the "look" of different time periods.
• Describe how a cinematographer changes the mood of the film.

Who is the Cinematographer?

• Communicate how several cinematographers view their craft.

The "Look" of a film

• Describe how a cinematographer creates the "look" of different time periods.
• Describe how a cinematographer changes the mood of the film.

        Self-Check exercise

Cinematography During Pre-Production

Collaborating with the Director

• Explain the collaboration between the cinematographer and the director.

Selecting and Testing Film Stock

• Explain how and why specific film stocks are selected for a project.
• Describe the significance of shooting film tests prior to the start of a project, including (1) Gray Card Plus Film Speed Test, (2) Gray Towel Test, (3) Emulsion Test for Latitude and 'Look', and (4) Depth of Field Test.

Selecting and Testing Filters

• Describe filters used by a cinematographer.
• List filters.
• Describe color compensating, light balancing, color temperature conversion, polarizing and neutral density filters.

Planning the Lighting

• Describe and illustrate lighting situations used to achieve a certain 'look'.
• Describe 'motivated lighting' and 'lighting planes' techniques.

Identifying Equipment Needs

• Describe the camera supports that will be used in production including tripod head, booming dolly, dollies and tracks, camera cranes, and specialty rigging.

        Self-Check exercise

Cinematography During Production

Scheduling the Shoot

• Describe and illustrate the breakdown or shooting script.
• Discuss the lighting and environmental issues that will be considered by cinematographer
• Describe and illustrate a motion picture shot, scene, and sequence.
• Describe and illustrate block, light, rehearse, shoot - the accepted convention in motion picture production for the most efficient flow of work.

Positioning the Camera

• Explain the significance of camera position to the cinematographer.
• Describe and illustrate shots defined by camera angle including level angle, high angle, low angle, and Dutch angle shots.
• Describe and illustrate shots defined by the area they cover including extreme wide, long, medium, and close-up shots.
• Describe and illustrate shots defined by the movement of the camera including pan and dolly or crane shots.

Composing the Shots

• Describe and illustrate the guidelines for composing images including leading line, framing, balanced, triangles, room-to-move, and depth of field.
• Describe horizontal, vertical and diagonal movement in a scene.

Maintaining Visual Continuity

• Describe and illustrate continuity of direction in filmmaking including right-to-left and left-to-right opposing movements and action axis principle.
• Describe the significance of the camera log to the lab and colorist.

        Self-Check exercise

Cinematography During Post-Production

Using Special Processing

• Discuss the role if the motion picture processing lab in the filmmaking process.
• Describe alternative processing techniques that a cinematographer can use to achieve a desired 'look' including push process, pull process, silver retention process, and cross-process.

Communicating with the Lab

• Identify and describe the laboratory personnel interacting with the cinematographer in post-production.

Communicating with the Colorist

• Identify and describe the role of the colorist.

Communicating with the Editor

• Identify and describe the role of the editor.