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What is Cinematography - Course Outline
"What is Cinematography" provides a detailed description of the cinematographer's tools and their application in the art of filmmaking.
You will learn:
Cinematography Overview
- What is Cinematography?
- Identify the artistic and technological elements of cinematography.
- Describe how a cinematographer creates the "look" of different time periods.
- Describe how a cinematographer changes the mood of the film.
- Who is the Cinematographer?
- Communicate how several cinematographers view their craft.
- The "Look" of a film
- Describe how a cinematographer creates the "look" of different time periods.
- Describe how a cinematographer changes the mood of the film.
Self-Check exercise
Cinematography During Pre-Production
- Collaborating with the Director
- Explain the collaboration between the cinematographer and the director.
- Selecting and Testing Film Stock
- Explain how and why specific film stocks are selected for a project.
- Describe the significance of shooting film tests prior to the start of a project, including (1) Gray Card Plus Film Speed Test, (2) Gray Towel Test, (3) Emulsion Test for Latitude and 'Look', and (4) Depth of Field Test.
- Selecting and Testing Filters
- Describe filters used by a cinematographer.
- List filters.
- Describe color compensating, light balancing, color temperature conversion, polarizing and neutral density filters.
- Planning the Lighting
- Describe and illustrate lighting situations used to achieve a certain 'look'.
- Describe 'motivated lighting' and 'lighting planes' techniques.
- Identifying Equipment Needs
- Describe the camera supports that will be used in production including tripod head, booming dolly, dollies and tracks, camera cranes, and specialty rigging.
Self-Check exercise
Cinematography During Production
- Scheduling the Shoot
- Describe and illustrate the breakdown or shooting script.
- Discuss the lighting and environmental issues that will be considered by cinematographer
- Describe and illustrate a motion picture shot, scene, and sequence.
- Describe and illustrate block, light, rehearse, shoot - the accepted convention in motion picture production for the most efficient flow of work.
- Positioning the Camera
- Explain the significance of camera position to the cinematographer.
- Describe and illustrate shots defined by camera angle including level angle, high angle, low angle, and Dutch angle shots.
- Describe and illustrate shots defined by the area they cover including extreme wide, long, medium, and close-up shots.
- Describe and illustrate shots defined by the movement of the camera including pan and dolly or crane shots.
- Composing the Shots
- Describe and illustrate the guidelines for composing images including leading line, framing, balanced, triangles, room-to-move, and depth of field.
- Describe horizontal, vertical and diagonal movement in a scene.
- Maintaining Visual Continuity
- Describe and illustrate continuity of direction in filmmaking including right-to-left and left-to-right opposing movements and action axis principle.
- Describe the significance of the camera log to the lab and colorist.
Self-Check exercise
Cinematography During Post-Production
- Using Special Processing
- Discuss the role if the motion picture processing lab in the filmmaking process.
- Describe alternative processing techniques that a cinematographer can use to achieve a desired 'look' including push process, pull process, silver retention process, and cross-process.
- Communicating with the Lab
- Identify and describe the laboratory personnel interacting with the cinematographer in post-production.
- Communicating with the Colorist
- Identify and describe the role of the colorist.
- Communicating with the Editor
- Identify and describe the role of the editor.
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