Cinematography

• Cinematography

  "The art of photography and camera work in film-making".

  Consists of: Focus, colours, composition, camera movement, lighting, aspect ratio, camera shots/angles, lens type, etc.
• Single shot

  A shot that frames only one subject.
• Two Shot

  Two people/subjects in frame.
• Three Shot

  Three subjects in frame.
• Group Shot

  Anything more than three subjects in frame.
• High Angle Shot

  A film technique where the camera looks down at the subject from above.

  (Establish location, subject appears smaller, look down, authority/power).
• Low Angle Shot

  A film shot taken from a camera angle positioned below the average eye line and pointing up.

  (Authority, matching eyeliner when short person talking to a tall person, looking up at things).
• Dutch/Cantered Angle

  A shot in which the camera has been rotated around the axis of the lens and relative to the horizontal or vertical lines in the shot.

  (Strange, surreal, insanity, intoxication, looks cool).
• Top Shot

  A shot that looks directly down at a scene.
• Aerial shot

  A shot that is taken from an elevated vantage point than what is framed in the shot.

  (Taken from aircraft/helicopter/ drone).
• Level Shot

  When your camera's height is on ground level with your subject.

  (Level with the character's eyes, promote empathy).
• Long Shot

  A view of a scene that is shot from a considerable distance, so that people appear as indistinct shapes.

  (Subject fills entire frame).
• Extreme Long Shot

  A view from a great distance, in which people appear as small dots in the landscape if at all.

  (Anything further away than a long shot).
• Establishing Shot

  Introduces new scenes and tells the viewer where and when the action is happening.

  (Establishing location).
• Master Shot

  A film recording of an entire dramatized scene, start to finish, from a camera angle that keeps all the players in view.

  (Can perform a double function as an establishing Shot).
• Medium Close Up

  Frames the subject from just above the head to just below the chest.

  (Known as a bust shot, used for conversations).
• 3/4 or Medium - Long Shot

  Somewhere between a medium shot and a long (full shot) shot, showing the subject from the knees up.

  (Also known as a cowboy shot).
• Medium Shot

  Somewhere between a close up and a wide shot, showing the subject from the waist up while revealing some of the surrounding environment.
• Big Close Up

  A standard shot size which shows a detail of a foreground subject filling the entirety of the screen.

  (Shown face from forehead to chin, intimate and uncomfortable).
• Extreme Close Up

  A more intense version of a close up shot, sometimes showing only the subject's eyes.

  (Aims to show detail, uncomfortable).
• Close Up

  A photograph or movie shot taken of a subject of object at close range intended to show greater detail to the viewer.

  (Commonly used, see facial expressions, not uncomfortable, shoulders and above).
• Subjective Point of View

  A film scene, usually a short one, that is shot as if through the eyes of a character.
• Object Point of View

  The observer/ audience's point of view, not the character's.

  (See the person as well as the POV.eg, over the shoulder shot).
• Over-the-Shoulder Shot

  A shot that gives us a character's point of view but that includes part of that character's shoulder or the side of the head in the shot.
• Handheld shots

  Normally used for action sequences, to connote freedom or excitement or to enhance movement and get in amongst the action of a scene. Also used to create an intimate feel for a scene as it looks like news footage or a home movie/ video.
• Aspect Ratio

  Academy Ratio = 4:3/1.37:1

  Academy Flat Wide-screen = 1.88:1

  DV Video/TV = 16:9

  'Cinemascope' Wide-screen = 2.35:1
• Zoom Lens

  Variable focal length (can vary from wide angle to telephoto). More versatile than fixed focal lenses.
• Telephoto Lens

  60-12,000mm, used to make objects appear closer/ create shallow depth of field shots.
• Wide Angle Lens

  Focal length shorter than 35mm, wider viewing angle, increase depth perception. Distorted effect which connotes intoxication.
• Normal Lens

  Focal length 35-50mm. Closely resembles human vision and is used more commonly than any other lens.
• Lens Type

  Each lens has a different use. Cameras have detachable lenses and can be swapped depending on the effect that the director and cinematographer are attempting to create.
• Snorricam

  Connotes intoxication, madness or sickness. Very surreal.
• Steadicam

  Similar to a handheld shot but much smoother. The Steadicam distributes weight evenly so that the cinematographers shots are less shaky.
• Crane/Jib

  Jib- Mini crane shot, only requires one person to operate.

  Crane- Used for high angle shots, establishing shots or to create a sweeping movement.
• Vehicle Mounts

  Camera mounted to a vehicle.
• Arc Shots

  Shows a 360° arc to connote confusion. Often used in aerial establishing shots.
• Whip Pan


  Very fast pan.
• Pan

  Left to right from a fixed axis.
• Tilt

  Up and down from a fixed axis.
• Roll

  Roll camera to one side from a fixed axis.