Natapong William Collins 972377@henleycol.ac.

uk

Script Visuals
Introduction
Cinematography. The role of the Cinematographer
‘First camera’
has changed over the years, and so has the
Picture of the first cameras
process of films. With the creation of Digital
cameras, Motion Capture and Computer
‘Blue/Green screen’
Generated Imagery, or CGI. The possibilities are
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uy-yyiZ7tQ
endless. But in modern time, many short cuts are
taken, and with not a lot of prep and thought put
‘IMAX’
into the film to reach studio deadlines, scenes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BnOebsDtA
become rushed and sometimes even abandoned.
Q
Entire sequences are re written and structured and
the use of green screen, when filming on location
‘From the Classics’
and on sets aren’t possible leaves the DOP with
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfpagB8wWn
not much to work with. Quick cuts and shaky cam
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are used to hide the under preparation of a film
many Cinematographers do not have the same
‘Young filmmakers-revolutionise’
respect and power that they once had. In this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgyitSlMtMY
documentary I’m going to explore the birth of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIlYk7KQe-s
cinematography. From the first fixed camera, to an
IMAX cameras attached to a skydiver 20000ft in
‘Grew advanced technologies’
the air. From where cinematography was to where
it is now. I’m Will Collins and this is the Full Frame.

The world of digital has been rising and rising and

more compact/cheaper cameras allow film
production to be more accessible to a younger and
less experienced audience. All around the world
there are aspiring filmmakers making movie ‘World of digital’
quality films on £0 budgets and winning countless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jd866IIPr4
awards – Such as Damien Chazelle for Whiplash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m_K2Yg7wG
(Short Film) where he won the Jury Award and Q
Best Short Film Award at the Sundance Film ‘More accessible’
Festival. Will Film B –ROLL OF people shooting
‘Damien Chazelle’
The 21st century has seen a surge in young ---
filmmakers moving from indie to Hollywood. ‘Gareth Edwards and James Gunn’
Directors such as James Gunn and Gareth Pictures of them
Edwards, making small indie films and then moving https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71kAAVlpENY
on to large big budget films; with films such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkcfB3z0_-0
Godzilla and Guardians of the galaxy being made
by these two filmmakers.

The Power of what one camera and a roll of film

can do allows the audience to escape to another
time or explore another world. But where did
cinematography all start.
Natapong William Collins 972377@henleycol.ac.uk

History Of: Cinematography

Some of the first films ever made were created by

the minds of the Lumiere Brothers in the 1890s.
These two inventors from France, not only made
films but they also made one of the first movie
cameras. The Cinematographe. The
Cinematographe was revolutionary and the
Lumiere brothers used their great invention to
create of films, such as ‘Arrival of a train’ and
‘Workers leaving the Lumiere Factory’. They were
also the first to make documentaries and
comedies as well as filming the very first news
reels. The impact they had in such a short space of
1 = Muybridge Sequence
time was un heard of and slowly but surely more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka9MZNUiYw
and more people began to be interested in their
A
idea of the moving image and it being consumed in
an entertainment format. In fact the Lumiere
‘2= Sallie Gardener at a Gallop’
brother popularised film to the public audience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-ZJxDHDK9c
with also the help of Thomas Edison and his team
who created the Kinetograph. This was later
‘Still used today’
created into a viewing station called the
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNrSNcaYiZ
Kinetoscope, which for five cents, a member of the
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public could watch a 20 to 30 second film. In 1894
Edison and his team opened up a Kinetoscope
parlour or movie theatre on Broadway. From then
on the film industry continued on further. As
technology advanced further, so did the
composition and complexity of cinematography.
As more time passed many filmmakers began to
understand the art of framing a lot more and they
only got better at it as cameras began to move on
cranes and Stedicam’s, but before them, before
Hitchcock’s and ahis push/pull zoom, before Orson
Welles Deep focus, there was Buster Keaton.

Buster Keaton
Natapong William Collins 972377@henleycol.ac.uk

Akira Kurosawa: The Master of Movement

Akira Kurosawa. Seven Samurai. The Hidden

Fortress. This director has gone down in history as
being one of the most influential directors to ever
live. His work not only considered to be some of
the best films ever made, and also was a
filmmaker that influenced director like George
Lucas to make Star Wars. The composition and
camera movement that Kurosawa employs is a key
representation of how action should be portrayed
in polar opposite to how many action films today
are filmed. Kurosawa’s visual expertise is on full
display. Where many action films cut constantly,
but Kurosawa prefers long takes which instead of
‘Start off with the Close-up’
cutting he changes to different shot types in one
Timecode - 3:06
take. Not only is this impressive but it also allows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doaQC-S8de8
the audience to see the action clearly and allows
‘Compared to Modern’
the audience to map out the positioning and
Split screen of Seven Samurai and Modern day
geography of the scene. In one example we have a
action films
scene where our protagonist starts off with a close
‘Scenes Like This’
up, which then leads to a wide, then to an over the
Shot from Taken 3 when he’s jumping the fence
shoulder shot with one take. This was a trademark
‘Deeply Emphasised’
style of Kurosawa’s and is seen several times
Timecode – 2:38
within this movie. This type of style is rarely seen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doaQC-S8de8
now in Hollywood as tight shooting schedules and
reluctant studios means many DOPs don’t get
enough time or preparation to plan these shots,
and with the conclusion of second Unit directors,
many scenes aren’t even filmed by the DOP
leading to scenes like this. The Movement of the
characters were deeply emphasised. For example
if a character is frustrated they’ll move from side
to side with camera panning with them. If a
character is sad or ashamed then the character will
be slouched down and low to floor whilst the
camera follows them. In addition to that Kurosawa
uses Slow Mo as well as I mentioned earlier. Again
Natapong William Collins 972377@henleycol.ac.uk

the main difference with Kurosawa’s Slow motion

compared to modern day is that he uses it with
purpose. With one scene in particular Kurosawa
uses slow-motion after a burglar has been killed at
the hands of one of the samurai. The slow motion
is used to emphasise the consequence of the
heroes’ actions and that when he kills, there is a
person that dies and that he matters. Compared to
the final battle to maybe Warcraft. Barely any
characters that die, that aren’t part of the main
cast are given hardly any screen time or
importance and so not only can we not see how
many the protagonists have killed but we can
neither see how well they’re are doing, or what
the hero is up against.
Movement has been established to be very
important to Kurosawa and his films. But not only
does he use camera movement and movement of
character but he also uses natural weather. When
Kurosawa doesn’t have extras in the background,
he uses things like rain and snow in the backdrops
in his scene. This adds interest to the shot as it
isn’t completely still.

George Lucas : Motion Control and Modern Technology

George Lucas was a massive influence in the

industry. When the first Star Wars came out on
May 25th 1977 the world was changed forever. The
technological advancement that the ILM team had
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mztK3s63_O
made during the making of that film was truly
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extraordinary. From the mastering of Motion
Control, to the development of the Dykstroflex.
This film created one of the best and most popular
special effects companies in the world which
would go on to do award winning effects in film.

Not only that but the future trilogy that would

made from this film would inspire new filmmakers
for the next generation such as JJ Abrams, who
then went to direct Star Wars: The Force Awakens
which was smash hit with fans. However my main
point of this is the shift between trilogies. How
George Lucas shifted from making his film on a
small budget and draining all of his resources to
make a great Sci-Fi film to the Rushed and poor
planned prequels. After the original trilogy ended
George Lucas took a step back away from Directing
and mostly produced and worked in the
background. During his time he mainly focused on
Natapong William Collins 972377@henleycol.ac.uk

scriptwriting and doing concept for future films.

However when it came round to the prequels he
had jumped back into the director’s chair with a
much larger budget and movie, but himself very
much out of practice.

The Auteurs, Amateur’s and the Accomplished

In recent years the role of the Director of

Photography has changed. What once was a
respected position to all camera crews and
directors has now started to become dismissed
due to the development of technology, and the
tight schedules of productions.
However this wasn’t always the case. There was a
time when the mysteries of the industry were still
unknown to the public. When the curtain was
closed to the audience and only when the next act
began would the curtain open again to entertain
the public. Film allowed people to escape to see
through the eyes of somebody else, through the
lens of the camera.