Cinematography is defined as<\/strong>\u00a0the art or\u00a0science of motion picture photography<\/strong>.\u00a0It is a derivative of the Greek word\u00a0kinema,\u00a0<\/em>meaning\u00a0<\/em>movement. \u00a0Much like a language, cinematography<\/strong> must be learned well before you can really communicate.<\/p>\n A great director of photography\u00a0will define light and space to create the ultimate image.\u00a0Not only does this include everything moving on the screen, but also the camera\u00a0movements that are used to communicate with the audience.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Director of Photography<\/strong>, also known as the\u00a0DoP<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0DP<\/strong>, is the chief cinematographer. They are responsible for working with the film’s director to bring\u00a0a\u00a0story to life. \u00a0They are the\u00a0second most powerful creative person on set<\/strong>. If the director was the president, the DP is the vice president. Many\u00a0of the world’s greatest DPs belong to\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>American Society of Cinematographers<\/a>\u00a0(ASC).<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0Director of Photography manages several production departments<\/strong>. Primarily, they are the\u00a0chief of the camera crew<\/strong>. The\u00a0camera crew is made up by several positions<\/a>, all of which are responsible for setting up and using the camera itself. The DP is also in charge of\u00a0the grip and electric departments<\/a>. These departments, also called G&E, are responsible for providing the necessary power, lighting, and support gear for the camera.<\/p>\n Unlike other creative positions on set,\u00a0you can actually breakdown everything a DP does<\/strong>. You may not know why a director made certain decisions, but by studying film and examining every frame, you can breakdown the work of the DP. Not only do you see the actual camera movement and character blocking on set, you can breakdown the type of lighting used and its placement. You can make a\u00a0very accurate guess to what type of lenses where used, as well as support gear like a\u00a0Steadicam or dolly.<\/p>\n There are\u00a0tons of great cinematographers to study<\/a>. One of my favorite resources is the\u00a0cinematographer index<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Evan Richards<\/a>. Studying a film requires you to pause a movie and examine it. Richards has taken the time to take incredible stills from some of the most talented cinematographers. He then compiles complete\u00a0breakdowns for some of the best films ever made. I can’t recommend this site enough.<\/p>\n There are also resources from cinematographers themselves, like\u00a0Roger Deakins<\/a>,\u00a0who has a\u00a0filmmaking forum<\/a>\u00a0on his site, and\u00a0Shane Hurlbut<\/a>,\u00a0who has created in-depth tutorials in his\u00a0Inner Circle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Director of Photography\u00a0Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Director of Photography will be responsible for choosing the camera used during production<\/strong>. Keep in mind that your camera choice\u00a0will then affect every other camera decision<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 film or digital, types of lenses, camera settings, and available support gear.<\/p>\n There are so many camera options available, it’s easy to get lost. The camera choice for every production will be limited by budget. Even if you have a large budget, that doesn’t mean the most expensive camera is the best option. You’ll have to factor tons of other items into the budget. Will you need film stock or memory cards? How many lenses will you need? There are even many who agree that\u00a0spending your money on lenses rather than cameras<\/a>\u00a0will serve you in the long run. I’m inclined to agree.<\/p>\n Your\u00a0camera choice\u00a0can\u00a0be guided by technical capabilities, but not decided on specs alone<\/strong>. Storytelling should be the deciding factor. Take a look at\u00a0The Martian<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>a film with a budget over $100 million dollars that frequently used GoPros \u2014 cameras that cost around $500. GoPro cameras were not chosen for their capabilities, but because\u00a0they perfectly fit the story<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you\u00a0want a particular scene to feel larger than life, then once again you will need to pick the right camera<\/strong>. For The Dark Knight<\/em><\/a>, director Christopher Nolan<\/a> and Director of Photography Wally Pfister<\/a>\u00a0decided to shoot many of the major action scenes on IMAX. Once again, this was primarily a storytelling decision, but on the technical side it allowed them to capture a much larger frame.<\/p>\n Choosing a camera is no easy task. There are a multitude of options. Will you be shooting digital or film<\/strong>? While film cameras had been the dominant camera choice for decades, the technical advancements of digital camera sensors are nothing short of amazing. To the average audience, they would never be able to tell if a movie was shot on film or digitally.\u00a0ARRI<\/a>, the company behind nearly every recent\u00a0film\u00a0nominated for Best Picture, makes\u00a0film and digital cameras.<\/p>\n It’s more about the texture that fuels the story. For each different project or scene, I try to find what color, what texture, what will work. And definitely the format you shoot affects that. Digital has a certain look to it. Let’s say it’s more clean. It doesn’t have the movement of the film grain. It doesn’t have that sensation that film gives you. And there\u2019s certain things that digital cameras can do — with a shutter, for example. On a film camera you can\u2019t go with a wider shutter than 180 degrees. So, I used that on The Wolf of Wall Street<\/em><\/a> for certain scenes. I used the shutter nearly 360 degrees to blow the images. I like both. I like the depth of film. I love the film grain. It\u2019s something that I do gravitate to, but I also appreciate the benefits of digital for certain things. – Cinematographer\u00a0Rodrigo Prieto<\/a>\u00a0to IndieWire<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Many filmmakers will often get caught up in the debate of film and digital, but like we previously mentioned \u2014\u00a0storytelling is key<\/em>. There are plenty of cinematographers who will use multiple types of cameras for a production. You just need to pay attention to the right factors. One of the biggest factors will be the codec used with digital cameras<\/strong>. The file format will determine how much control you’ll have over altering and grading the footage in post-production.<\/p>\n Also, if you are shooting digital, make sure you have a designated Digital Imaging Technician<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0DIT. Like a film loader, a DIT manages the footage already recorded<\/strong>. Unlike a film loader, the DIT is also responsible for backing up the content, distributing footage to editors, and creating dailies.<\/p>\n There are several camera settings a cinematographer needs to take into account before shooting. Know the camera’s dynamic range<\/strong>, which is the ability to capture lights and darks at once. Cameras used for major motion productions have at least 12 stops of dynamic range<\/strong>. Also note the frame rate<\/strong> you will be shooting with.<\/p>\n Frame rate is the frequency at which film is recorded and displayed<\/strong>. It is measured in frames per second. The industry standard is 24 frames per second<\/strong>, or 24 FPS. This means that 24 single images compose one second of film. The term come from film production, but is used in digital cameras too. To be even more technical, the frame rate is more specific when a film is prepared for television broadcast<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In the Americas and parts of Asia, the standard is NTSC<\/strong>. The National Television System Committee<\/a> slowed film rates by a fraction<\/strong> to achieve a better broadcast standard. To determine the NTSC rate, you will multiply the FPS by 1000 and then divide by 1001.\u00a0\u00a0If a film was shot at 24 FPS, the actual rate broadcast will be 23.976 FPS<\/strong> in NTSC countries. For films shot at 30 FPS, the NTSC standard becomes 29.970 FPS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In most European and African countries, the standard is PAL<\/strong>. Phase Alternating Line<\/a> was introduced in response to NTSC, because the NTSC standards did not broadcast well<\/strong> in many of the countries with extreme terrain or weather. PAL has a 20% higher resolution than NTSC, and the FPS is actually increased. A 24 FPS film will be increased to broadcast at 25 FPS.<\/p>\n The final setting we will briefly cover is ISO<\/strong>, for International Standards Organization. Adjusting the ISO changes the camera sensor’s sensitivity to light<\/strong>. ISO was originally listed on the film stock, as different types of film were made. In the transition to digital, the ISO is now a camera setting used to change the amount of light the sensor captures. A lower ISO will achieve the best look<\/strong>, as a higher ISO level will introduce noise and grain.<\/p>\n Camera lenses are used in conjunction with the camera body to capture light, essentially creating the image. Prime lenses<\/strong> are the ones most often used in film production. Prime lenses have a fixed focal length, unlike zoom lenses, which have variable focal lengths<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The focal length is the distance between the lens and the camera sensor<\/strong>. It is often measured in millimeters. Prime lenses will list one focal length, because they have a fixed distance. The most common prime lenses used on set are the 21mm<\/strong> for ultra-wide shots, 28mm up to 30mm<\/strong> for wide shots, 50mm<\/strong> for standard and medium shots, and 85mm <\/strong>up to 105mm<\/strong> for portrait shots.<\/p>\n Zoom lenses will list both the lowest and highest focal length. Zooms can capture just about any focal length in between, but that doesn’t mean you will get the best image. A 50mm prime lens will almost always give a better image than a zoom lens<\/strong> set to 50mm.<\/p>\n The second number you will see on a lens is the f-stop. The f-stop will let you know how much light the lens will let in to the sensor<\/a>. A lower f-stop will allow more light than a higher f-stop.<\/p>\n Finally, you will need to take note of the type of mount<\/strong> the lens uses. Nearly every manufacturer uses their own lens mount, but they can be interchangeable with a speed booster or adapter. The Canon<\/a> EF-mount<\/strong> is one of the most versatile and used mounts on independent productions. In major studio productions, you will often see the PL-mount<\/strong> from ARRI<\/a>. There are plenty of other mounts as well<\/a>, but these two will be seen most often.<\/p>\n Camera and Lens\u00a0Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n After finally setting up the\u00a0camera and choosing a lens, it’s time to start planning a shot. By taking a look at the film’s storyboard, a cinematographer will have a good grasp on what the director is envisioning.\u00a0One of the\u00a0many benefits of having a storyboard<\/a>\u00a0is seeing the listed camera movements<\/strong> and director’s notes.<\/p>\n A storyboard will often let a cinematographer and camera crew know when they need to zoom in or follow a character. By knowing what a scene calls for, they can choose the right support gear necessary to pull off a camera move<\/strong>. The primary\u00a0piece of gear is the tripod. If the camera is supposed to be locked in<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 meaning no movement at all \u2014 or just a simple pan, tilt, or zoom, the tripod is going to be the golden standard piece of gear<\/strong> you need.<\/p>\n Tripods really are great for a pan, tilt, or zoom. For a pan<\/strong>, or panorama,\u00a0simply turn the tripod head (and camera) to the left or right. To achieve a tilt<\/strong>, move\u00a0the tripod head up or down. For a zoom, <\/strong>you will actually lock the tripod in place and then use the camera lens to zoom in or zoom out<\/strong>. If you are using a prime lens, then the tripod will need to be set on a dolly<\/strong> to move in or move out. This is no longer a zoom, but a dolly zoom<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A dolly<\/strong> is typically a flat platform with wheels that travels along a set of tracks. A camera operator then rides on the dolly to capture smooth movement, often used to capture tracking shots<\/a>. A dolly doesn’t always have to be an expensive cart on rails In fact, many creative cinematographers build their own<\/a> with the tools they have available.<\/p>\n The term to\u00a0dolly refers to moving directly toward or away<\/strong> from a subject. Unlike zooming, the focal length of the lens does not change. It is the camera itself that moves in or out. If moving alongside a\u00a0subject from left to right, the correct term is truck<\/strong>. This should not be confused with panning. Panning is looking left or right from a fixed position. Trucking is physically moving the camera left or right<\/strong>.<\/p>\n When the first automobiles where created, the Hollywood studio industry was one of the first to adopt the technology. The early vehicle dolly<\/strong> was the predecessor to the camera car<\/a>. Now these machines feature futuristic cranes and robotic arms<\/a>\u00a0that are used by cinematographers to capture high speed action.<\/p>\n Speaking of cranes, the crane is another camera gear staple. A camera is placed on a crane or jib<\/strong> to frame characters from high above and\/or far away. There and hundreds of different types of cranes. Some feature platforms for a cameraman to operate the camera, while others are all digitally controlled. Cranes are often used for pedestal\u00a0<\/strong>movements, where a camera moves vertically up or down. Now, cranes are frequently being replaced by drones\u00a0<\/strong>on independent productions.<\/p>\n Finally, we have to mention handheld stabilizers<\/strong>. There is a whole new industry out there since the first Steadicam<\/a> appeared in the 1970s. The first Steadicam was a stabilizer attached to a spring loaded arm mounted to a camera operator’s chest plate. The weighted stabilizer helped keep balance, while the spring arm absorbed shock and movement. The Steadicam revolutionized the film industry<\/strong>, because it allowed cinematographers to follow subjects and capture footage like never before.<\/p>\n The Steadicam totally changed tracking<\/strong>. Tracking is a movement that constantly follows the action from the same distance. Before, tracking was limited to a dolly’s tracks. With the Steadicam, a camera operator could follow a character anywhere. One of the earliest and most famous uses of this new type of tracking shot was the iconic stair climb in Rocky<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nDirector of Photography<\/h3>\n
![\"Cinematography:](\"http:\/\/pbblogassets.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Lubezki-Director-of-Photography.jpg\" "\\"Cinematography:")
\n<\/a>Image: Director of Photography\u00a0Emmanuel Lubezki<\/a>\u00a0via\u00a0tasteofcinema.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nImage:\u00a0Gravity<\/a>\u00a0–\u00a0Director of Photography\u00a0Emmanuel Lubezki<\/a>\u00a0via\u00a0Evan Richards<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n
\nCameras and Lenses<\/h3>\n
\nImage via ARRI\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
\nImage: Christopher Nolan and IMAX camera via Collider<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nFilm vs Digital<\/h4>\n
Camera Settings<\/h4>\n
\nImage via Blackmagic Design<\/em><\/p>\nLenses<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n\n
\nCamera Movement<\/h3>\n
\nImage: Cinematographer and Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown<\/a> via Tested<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nImage: The Alamo<\/a> cinematographer on camera dolly via Wikipedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Image: Director of Photography Robert Richardson<\/a> on a crane via EOSHD<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n