Lets have a discussion about cinematography.
I would like to start by saying that I'm not preaching or selling anything here. I'm not an absolute authority on the subject of cinematography. I am a life long student of the craft just like anyone else that chooses to take it seriously. I am sharing MY understanding of that craft as I have learned it over the years. You may have a different understanding. Your understanding is valid and perfectly OK if it is different from mine or anyone elses.
Lets kick it off with a very basic definition:
Cinematography is the art and science of motion picture photography.
Sounds simple enough right? Like many things the devil is in the details.
This first part here is going to be a bit philosophical. I promise to get more into the technical details in the next post.
Creating a motion picture that flows from frame to frame where the edits themselves disappear drawing you into the story is a thing of beauty. It doesn't happen by accident. Regardless of how effortless it appears much planning and work went into creating that illusion. How a film is shot is a cornerstone of making the illusion possible.
Many people that come into the world of moving pictures have at least a basic background in photography. That is a good thing. Virtually everything you learn about composing a good photograph works when composing a good "FRAME" in a moving picture. If you are looking to create good images I highly suggest reading up on image composition. Specific concepts to understand are - the rule of thirds, negative space, and eye-line. Have a good grasp on how to create a good composition with those attributes in mind and you will be on good footing for cinematography.
So, how are photography and cinematography different? That comes down to a basic concept of "connected frames". In photography your image (or frame) may stand alone and be appreciated for what it is as a single entity. In Cinematography that is not the case. With cinematography you have to create a series of frames that all relate to each other. The first frame of the motion picture must flow into the next frame. That connection should not create discontinuity in your audiences mind or they will not get drawn into the story. If you want to challenge yourself with this I suggest going out and taking a series of photographs and mindfully use them to tell a story. Print them out and lay them on a table. Arrange them in a way where you convey information in a way that makes sense. You'll quickly see how difficult that is to do. That is exactly how cinematography is different from photography.
Where to begin? We will begin with the rules. In the next post I'll offer some of the basic rules of cinematography and how your audience instinctively react to them.
Thanks for reading.
Chris Medico
I would like to start by saying that I'm not preaching or selling anything here. I'm not an absolute authority on the subject of cinematography. I am a life long student of the craft just like anyone else that chooses to take it seriously. I am sharing MY understanding of that craft as I have learned it over the years. You may have a different understanding. Your understanding is valid and perfectly OK if it is different from mine or anyone elses.
Lets kick it off with a very basic definition:
Cinematography is the art and science of motion picture photography.
Sounds simple enough right? Like many things the devil is in the details.
This first part here is going to be a bit philosophical. I promise to get more into the technical details in the next post.
Creating a motion picture that flows from frame to frame where the edits themselves disappear drawing you into the story is a thing of beauty. It doesn't happen by accident. Regardless of how effortless it appears much planning and work went into creating that illusion. How a film is shot is a cornerstone of making the illusion possible.
Many people that come into the world of moving pictures have at least a basic background in photography. That is a good thing. Virtually everything you learn about composing a good photograph works when composing a good "FRAME" in a moving picture. If you are looking to create good images I highly suggest reading up on image composition. Specific concepts to understand are - the rule of thirds, negative space, and eye-line. Have a good grasp on how to create a good composition with those attributes in mind and you will be on good footing for cinematography.
So, how are photography and cinematography different? That comes down to a basic concept of "connected frames". In photography your image (or frame) may stand alone and be appreciated for what it is as a single entity. In Cinematography that is not the case. With cinematography you have to create a series of frames that all relate to each other. The first frame of the motion picture must flow into the next frame. That connection should not create discontinuity in your audiences mind or they will not get drawn into the story. If you want to challenge yourself with this I suggest going out and taking a series of photographs and mindfully use them to tell a story. Print them out and lay them on a table. Arrange them in a way where you convey information in a way that makes sense. You'll quickly see how difficult that is to do. That is exactly how cinematography is different from photography.
Where to begin? We will begin with the rules. In the next post I'll offer some of the basic rules of cinematography and how your audience instinctively react to them.
Thanks for reading.
Chris Medico
