Class notes
Fam1000s - Cinematography ; All lecture Notes
- Institution
- University Of Cape Town (UCT)
This is a comprehensive and detailed note on cinematography for Fam1000s. Quality stuff!! U'll need it!!
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Cinematography*“Writing in movement”
Convergence of 3 developments in the 19th century:
The illusion of movement (rapid series of images).
Exposing light sensitive chemicals to light via photography (writing in light).
Projection of the series of images.
Units of analysis:
Frame – Still image / “photo”
Shot – One continuous recording between cuts. An uninterrupted take by the camera.
Sequence – A scene, or a series of connected scenes, that present a succession of
related events that constitute and advance a distinct component of the story narrative,
plot and/or character development.
Scene – Single or multiple shots edited to present a block of the story’s narrative, plot
and/or character development. Generally, scenes occur within a specific time frame,
and focus on a cohesive theme, event, or character experience.
Cinematographic aspects of the shot:
Photographic aspects:
o Film stock (speed, contrast, colour).
o Exposure – regulates how much light passes through the camera lens. Too dark
– underexposed, too light – overexposed.
o Contrast – comparative difference between the darkest and lightest areas of the
frame.
o Filters – slices of glass or gelatine put in front of the lens or printer.
o Speed of motion (fast or slow motion).
Framing of the shot (including movement).
Duration of the shot.
Aspect ratio:
Ratio of frame width to frame height.
Different aspect ratios are used.
Anamorphic lenses:
, Standard lens is spherical and projects an image onto the camera sensor or film strip
without altering its aspect ratio.
Anamorphic lenses compress the image along the longitudinal axis. The image is then
“stretched” to widescreen aspect ratio by the projector.
By shooting “vertically”, the sensor captures more data but the image is then
distorted.
In post-production, or projection this distortion is corrected.
Narrative use of the frame:
Freeze frame.
Split screen:
o Makes multiple frames visible within the shot.
o It allows the filmmaker to represent two places or times simultaneously.
o E.g. Two people speaking on the phone, or 500 Days of Summer expectation
vs reality.
Shot scale:
Extreme long shot – often used as an establishing shot.
Long shot – closer than ELS, shows full body of subject.
Medium long shot – from the subject’s waist up.
Medium close up – from subject’s chest up.
Close up – subject’s face.
Extreme close up – shows a specific aspect of the subject’s face very close up.
Camera angle:
Normal – eye level.
High angle.
Low angle.
Canted – leans to one side.
Off-screen space:
Frame defines the limits of the image, and these limits are specifically selected.
The director can use off-screen space to conceal, reveal, and surprise.
The viewer is made aware of the reality of the film world beyond the frame when
characters look off-screen, or enter from off-screen.
Sound is an important link to off-screen space.
6 zones of off-screen space:
o Beyond each of the 4 corners of the frame.
o Behind the set.
o Behind the camera.
Lenses:
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