Cinematography

There are many ways to compose a shot and, subsequently, to convey meaning. Be it through film or video, the subject’s

spatial relationship to the camera is very important in establishing, maintaining, or altering the sense of character and

context for the viewer.

Distance

Key terms

Shot ◦Point of view◦Framing

Aspect ratio Mask Camera distance

◦Depth of field◦Color◦Movement

Wanda (Barbara Loden,1970)

Extreme Long Shot (ELS): used to establish sense of scale between subject and context; its greater distance allows for heightened sense of scale and subject’s insignificance than the Long Shot communicates.

The Long Shot (LS): emphasizes scenery, background, sense of scale over characters; camera is at a significant distance; shows a wider context beyond the subject of the shot, tells us extra information.

March of the Penguins (Luc Jacquet, 2005)

The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)

The Long Shot (LS): emphasizes scenery, background, sense of scale over characters; camera is at a significant distance; shows a wider context beyond the subject of the shot, tells us extra information.

The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2012)

The Long Shot (LS): emphasizes scenery, background, sense of scale over characters; camera is at a significant distance; shows a wider context beyond the subject of the shot, tells us extra information.

Medium Long Shot (MLS):This shot shows the full figure of

character(s) with a lesser amount of background, contextual info.

Bad Boys (Michael Bay, 1995)

Daybreakers (Michael and Peter Spierig, 2009)

The Medium Shot (MS): produces different meaning from the LS or ELS; here, the character and his/her actions are more visible, thus, more emphasized although background context is still present; usually not a full human figure (cut off at knees, waist, etc.)

The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002)

Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (Adam McKay, 2006)

Pride and Prejudice (Joe Wright 2005)

Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks, 1959)

The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940)

“American Shot”: MS or MLS featuring several characters with bodies turned toward camera; allows for multiple characters to exchange dialogue without the need for changes in camera position, perspective.

Medium Close Up (MCU):A shot from the chest/shoulders up; usually a fairly neutral background, not too much context, but character’s face and emotions are clear.

The Matrix (Andy and Lana Wachowski, 1999)

Hard-Boiled (John Woo, 1991)

X-Men: The Last Stand (Brett Ratner, 2006)

The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001)

Medium Close Up (MCU):A shot from the chest/shoulders up; usually a fairly neutral background, not too much context, but character’s face and emotions are clear.

Close Up (CU): camera is close to subject; this emphasizes characters, emotions, psychology, and reactions; almost no background context here. Also called “head shot.”

Alien 3 (David Fincher, 1992)

The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001)

Close Up (CU): camera is close to subject or object; this emphasizes characters, emotions, psychology, and reactions; almost no background context here. Also called “head shot.”

Extreme Close Up (ECU): camera is VERY close to subject or object; background minimal or non-existent, the focus is tight on a single detail.

Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

Height/Angle

Low Angle (LA): camera is low, aimed up; visual effect makes subject look powerful/dominant in the frame; sometimes emphasizes size.

The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2012)

Low Angle (LA): camera is low, aimed up; visual effect makes subject look powerful/dominant in the frame; sometimes emphasizes size.

The Game (David Fincher, 1997)

Low Angle (LA): camera is low, aimed up; visual effect makes subject look powerful/dominant in the frame; sometimes emphasizes size.

The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2012)

Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)

Voyage to Italy (Roberto Rossellini, 1959)

High Angle (HA):Camera is aimed

downward; when filming humanfigures this way, it emphasizes

their smallness in theirenvironment, can give them anappearance of insignificance orvulnerability. “Overhead” or

“crane” shots are associated with high angle perspectives

Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2012)

High Angle (HA): Camera is aimed downward; when filming human figures this way, it emphasizes their smallness in their environment, can give them an appearance of insignificance or vulnerability. “Overhead” or “crane” shots are associated with high angle perspectives.

The Game (David Fincher, 1997)

High Angle (HA): Camera is aimed downward; when filming human figures this way, it emphasizes their smallness in their environment, can give them an appearance of insignificance or vulnerability. “Overhead” or “crane” shots are associated with high angle perspectives.

The Hunger Games (Gary Ross, 2012)

High Angle (HA): Camera is aimed downward; when filming human figures this way, it emphasizes their smallness in their environment, can give them an appearance of insignificance or vulnerability.

“Dutch” Angle (also called “canted angle,” “German angle,” and “oblique angle”): the camera is placed at an unusual angle to convey

the subjective state of a character. This state is usually one of unease.

Hong Kong Rhapsody (Umetsugu Inoue, 1968)

12 Monkeys (Terry Gilliam, 1995)

“Dutch” Angle (also called “canted angle,” “German angle,” and “oblique angle”): the camera is placed at an unusual angle to convey the subjective state of a character. This state is usually one of unease.

American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000)

Eye Level: camera is positioned roughly around the eye level of the subject; sometimes used as frame of reference for other angles,

sometimes used if subject is moving toward camera. More neutral than high, low, and canted angles.

Depth of field/Focus

FOCUS is often used to direct viewer attention to a specific object or plane (e.g. foreground, middle ground, background). A subject or object that is sharply rendered through the camera is considered to be in focus.

FOCAL LENGTH describes the distance between the camera and the principal item you are shooting.

DEPTH OF FIELD describes the zone of sharp focus around your primary target. The closer you are to an object, the smaller a depth of field you have. The further you are from an object, the larger a depth of field you have.

DEEP FOCUS: multiple planes (foreground, middle ground, background) of a shot are in focus. In other words, a much larger depth of field.

SHALLOW FOCUS: a much smaller depth of field

RACK FOCUS: if one wishes to alter their focus within a given camera setup (and therefore avoid the need to change camera setups altogether), one may “rack,” or adjust, the camera’s focus from one plane to another. Examples of this often jump within the same take between foci in the foreground and background (or vice versa).

What do you think likely dictates who is in focus in a scene like this?

Knife of Ice (Umberto Lenzi, 1972)

Movement

ESTABLISHING SHOT: shot that sets a scene or establishes location; they are often stationary shots, and are usually (but not always) LS or ELS. They can, but do not have to, include characters. They can be mobile.

TRACKING SHOT (“DOLLY,” “FOLLOW,” and “TRUCKING” SHOTs): camera moves freely on a mobile base through the scene, often following (but sometimes leading) the subject. The proximity between camera and subject can change during the shot.

PAN SHOT (“PAN”): camera moves horizontally on a fixed base. TILT SHOT (“TILT”): camera moves vertically on a fixed base.

BOOM SHOT (“CRANE SHOT”): camera moves through the scene on a crane; camera is off the ground and can move in a non-linear way that a person holding it could not do.

When the camera moves from one position to another within the same shot, the frame has been changed and REFRAMING has occurred. These can be very small or very dramatic changes.