Cinematography

1. Film Analysis Cinematography

2. What is Cinematography? • Cinematography means motion-picture photography, literally “writing in movement.” • The basic unit of cinematography is the shot. It is a continuous point of view; it may move forward or backward, up or down, but it does not change, break or cut to another point of view or image. • Example: A film depicting a hotel room, the morning after a wild party, may be shot in different ways. One version might show the entire room with a broken window, a fallen chair and a man crouched in the corner as a single shot that depicts the scene from a calm distance. Another version might show the same scene in rapid succession of images made by multiple shots creating visual disturbance missing in the first version.

3. The Shot • In cinematographic terms, point of view refers to the position from which a person, an event, or an object is seen. All shots have a point of view. • A subjective point of view re-creates the perspective of a character. • An objective point of view represents the more impersonal perspective of the camera. • A point of view may be discontinuous. • The specific object highlighted within a point of view is the shot’s focus, the point in the image that is most clearly and precisely outline and defined by the lens of the camera.

4. Examples Point of View Subjective Objective

5. Framing, Depth of Field, Movement • The framing of a film shot contains, limits, and directs the point of view within the borders of the rectangular frame. Usually that frame is balanced, but sometimes it can appear unbalanced or askew, which is called a canted frame. • Framing correlates with the camera’s distance from its subject. • Film images also create a depth of field, the range or distance before and behind the main focus and within which objects remain sharp and clear. • A film image or shot may also have movement, according to which the mobile frame of the image follows the action, object or individual, or continuously moves to show a different action, object or individual.

6. Viewing Cues • When watching a film, choose what you consider to be the two or three most important shots. Describe them as precisely as possible. Why do you consider them so important? • Examine a shot you consider especially rich in detail. What objects or individuals does the composition isolate in a significant way? How exactly does the composition of the image draw attention to those objects or individuals? • Consider the framing and depth of field in one or two shots. How is framing used to comment on characters or objects in the shots? How does the depth of field become particularly important? • Are their shots in which the movement of the frame stands out? Describe carefully the movement of the shot, and then explain how the movement adds to our understanding of what happens.

7. Aspect Ratio • The aspect ratio describes the width and height of the film frame as it appears on a movie screen or television. • Classic films employ academy ratio of 1.33:1 • Standard U.S. widescreen ratio is 1.85:1 • Because these ratios describe the dimensions of the frame of the image we see they often shape our experience to align with themes and actions of the film.

8. Examples Aspect Ratio Academy ratio 1.33:1 Widescreen ratio 1.85:1 Widescreen ratio 2.35:1

9. Onscreen and Offscreen space • Onscreen space refers to the space visible within the frame of the image. • Offscreen space is the implied space or world that exists outside the film frame. • Usually the action in offscreen space is less important. Offscreen space does, however, sometimes contain important information that will be revealed in a subsequent image.

10. Close-ups, Long Shots and Medium Shots • The proximity of the film frame to its subject determines much about the point of view of a shot and contributes a great deal to how we understand or feel about what is being shown. • Close-ups show details of a person or object. An extreme close-up move in even closer; singling out a person’s eyes or petal of a flower. • A long shot places considerable distance between the camera and the scene, object or person, allowing the latter to remain recognizable but to now be defined by the large space and background it is a part of. An extreme long shot creates an even greater distance so that the larger space of the image dwarfs small objects or human figures. • A medium shot describes a middle ground in which we see the body of the person from the waist up, while a medium long shot increases distance between the camera and the subject somewhat farther, perhaps showing the entire body. A medium close-up shows the head and shoulders and is frequently used in conversation scenes. • Melodramatic or romantic films about personal relationships often feature a predominance of medium close-ups and medium shots to capture the emotional expressions of the characters. • Open-air adventures tend to use more long shots and extreme long shots in order to depict battle scenes.

11. Examples Close-ups and Long Shots Extreme close-up Close-up Long shot Extreme long shot

12. Examples Medium Shots Medium-long shot Medium shot Medium close-up

13. Angles • Film shots are positioned according to a multitude of angles. • High angles present a point of view directed at a downward angle on individuals or a scene. • Low angles view the world from a position lower than its subject. • An overhead shot depicts the action or subject from high above, sometimes looking directly down on it.

14. Examples Angles Low angle High angle

15. Focus • Deep focus means that multiple planes in the image are all in focus. • In shallow focus, only a narrow range of the field is focused • Rack focus (pulled focus) shifts rapidly from one object to another, such as refocusing from the face of a woman to the figure of a man approaching from behind her.

16. Examples Focus Shallow Focus Deep Focus

17. Viewing Cues • Consider the relation of onscreen and offscreen space in two or three shots from the film, and argue the importance of offscreen space in one of those shots. How does it add to the understanding of that shot? • Look for a pattern of compositional distances in this film. Do there seem to be a large number of long shots? Close-ups? Some other pattern? Describe one such pattern, and explain how it reinforces the themes of the film. • Select one or two shots in which depth of field seems especially important. Describe each shot as precisely as you can. How does depth of field distribute the objects or characters in a way that helps you better understand the shot?