Cinematography The manipulations of the film strip by
Cinematography • The manipulations of the film strip by the camera in the shooting phase and by the laboratory in the developing phase. – Photographic aspects of the shot – Framing of the shot – Duration of the shot
Photographic Aspects of Cinematography • Film Stock: – Fast v slow film – Black and White v. Color • Exposure • Developing/printing • Speed of motion: Slow-motion, fast-motion
Singin’ in the Rain- Technicolor film stock
The Camera Lens • Focal Length: the distance from the center of the lens to the point at which the light rays meet in sharp focus. This length determines perspective relations and depth cues on the flat screen surface.
Normal lens: 35 -50 mm, presuming 35 mm camera
• Wide Angle: short focal length ( 35 mm or less) which produces a wider angle of view. – Effect: distorting straight lines, exaggerating depth
Wide-Angle Lens
• Telephoto Lens: lens with a long focal length (75 mm or more). – Effect: collapse depth cues by enlarging distant planes and making them seem close to the foreground planes. – If time: Bowfinger (Oz, 1999)
Zoom lens • Lens with a focal length that can be changed during a shot. – Shift to telephoto range magnifies the image and flattens the space – Shift to wide-angle increases depth cues and demagnifies the background.
Retro-zoom • Tracking back and zooming in, or • Tracking in and zooming out • CLIP: Punch-Drunk Love (P. T. Anderson, 2002)
• Depth of Field: the range of distance within which objects can be photographed and remain in sharp focus. – Shot focal length: greater depth of field – Long focal length, reduces depth of field.
FRAMING *aspect ratios *offscreen space /onsceen spaces * angle, level, height, distance of framing * Mobile Framing
Extreme Long Shot (ELS)
Long shot, LS
Medium Long Shot (MLS) “plan américain”
Medium Shot (MS)
Medium Close-up (MCU)
Close-up (CU)
Extreme Close-up (ECU)
Straight-on angle
High-angle
Low-angle
• Pan: camera is set on the tripod turning left or right. On the screen, the camera appears to scan the space horizontally.
• Tilt: camera is fixed on a tripod swivels up or down. This movement produces a vertical scan.
Tracking Shot • Mobile framing that travels through space forward, backward, or laterally.
- Slides: 63