Cinematography

The Art of Visual Storytelling

The art and technology of motion picture photography, involving
techniques such as the composition of a scene, the lighting of the
location, the choice of cameras, lenses and filters, the camera
angles and movements and the integration of any special Technological Advancements
effects. These different areas may be handled by a range of The transition from film to digital
people on a film crew but they are all managed by the cameras was a major shift in cinematography.
cinematographer (also known as the first One of the main aspects it affected is their size, as
cameraman, lighting cameraman or director film stores didn’t need to be mounted on top of the
of photography). Their job is to bring cameras. This made them a lot smaller and more mobile,
the director’s vision to life and use allowing for more complex and dynamic shots to be achieved.
Another advancement was the invention of the Steadicam in 1975,
their initiative to match the
which has revolutionised the industry. It allows for smooth camera motion
tone of the piece, helping
without the use of complex rail systems. These take a lot of time to set up and
tell the story visually. often take up a lot of space, whereas the Steadicam allows the camera to be more
dynamic.The earliest films were captured in black and white, with techniques being developed later that allowed
monochrome footage to be coloured by hand or by machines during post production. Innovations such as
‘Kinemacolor’ and ‘Technicolor’ allowed cinematographers to capture colour in camera, giving them more
control over the final look of the film. The Wizard of Oz was the first film to do this. In the 1950s and 1960s in
order to combat the declining attendances at cinemas and increasing popularity of television, filmmakers began
to use widescreen formats as a way to differentiate from television. Of all the methods
introduced during this time the widescreen was the most successful in attracting audiences. The widescreen
format demanded more epic and intense visuals to match the scale of the screen. This ushered in a new age of
cinematography as the industry had to adapt to this new style of filmmaking.
A more recent development is the use of drones to capture stunning shots that couldn’t be achieved using
older techniques. A notable use of drones for a big budget film is in the opening motorbike sequence in
Skyfall. Drones also allow smaller productions to
capture shots that were previously only available to big “Cinematography is so much about instinct and intuition -
budget productions. you want the same range of experience going into behind the
camera as what you see in front of it. Your life experience will
come through the lens.”
Practitioners – Rachel Morrison
There are many skilled
practitioners in
cinematography, each with
a signature style. How
cinematographers approach
their projects has evolved alongside
the technological advancements.
Some notable cinematographers include Emmanuel
Lubezki (Gravity, Birdman) Rachel Morrison (First woman
to be nominated for the Academy award for best cinematography)
and Roger Deakins (No Country for Old Men, 1917). One of the skills I admire
about these people is their problem solving. For instance, Roger Deakins spoke about the above
shot from No Country for Old Men and how he integrated the lighting into the shot. He wanted to
uplight Javier Bardem’s face to make him seem sinister. To do this a he made sure a lamp was knocked
over earlier in the scene, so it is casting light up from the floor later. The bright bathroom behind him
is also used as an edge light, which feels natural thanks to Deakins use of motivated lighting.
Groundbreaking Productions motion picture begins 1880s
Arguably every production has been a step forward in some roundhay garden scene
aspect of filmmaking, as we learn and expand our knowledge earliest recorded
on all facets of the process. However, there are a few particular use of creating a moving picture
only 2.11 seconds long
productions that stand out as ground-breaking in
cinematography. A classic example is Orson Welles’ Citizen louis & Auguste Lumière
Kane, which was initially deemed a failure after its release in creators of the first moving
1941. Before the film Welles was primarily known for vocal picture apparatus
work, mostly on the radio. The thing that made him stand out (a camera and projector) 20th
was that at only 25 years old he pushed for complete control
of a major movie. He directed, wrote and starred in the film as d.w. Griffith & billy Bitzer
Century
the titular character. Together with his cinematographer Greg credited with pioneering techniques
Toland they broke many Hollywood norms, which made their such as the close up, fade out, soft focus
film stand out and gain very high acclaim. It was their and back lighting
thinking outside the box that earned the film the recognition colour
it has today. They used rear projection and perspective tricks
processes such as ‘kinemacolor’ and
in order to create visually stunning shots. Welles also had a ‘technicolor’ allowed
unique way of blocking scenes. While this wasn’t a new cinematographers to shoot films in
technique, it’s something he used very effectively, giving more colour without using post production
impact to the actions on screen. colouring techniques the
One scene that stands out is a tracking shot where the
camera passes up a building and down into a skylight, a
studio era
ppearing as one shot (with a hidden cut). This blending of The studios
two shots is an example of some of the earliest visual effects. the studio era began after the addition
Welles was a pioneer in blending otherwise simple shots in of sound in 1929, making studios
order to make them more interesting. such as 20th century fox & warner bros
larger and more in demand
Cinematographer Greg Toland’s experiments with lighting all studios had their own style which
and lenses resulted in the development of deep focus, which the cinematographers had to adhere to
created a depth of field that allowed all elements of a complex the
shot to be seen simultaneously. In an article for Theatre Arts
magazine in 1941, Toland spoke about ‘Pan-Focus’ which he the big screen
modern era
had used for the first time in Citizen Kane: “Through its use, the use of widescreen formats became
it is possible to photograph action from a range of eighteen widespread in the 1950s and 1960s
inches from the camera lens to over two hundred feet away, this inspired larger stories to be created
like ‘lawrence of arabia’. dp’s had to adapt
with extreme foreground and background figures and action to these advances in technology
both recorded in sharp relief. Hitherto, the camera had to be
focused either for a close or a distant shot, all efforts to
encompass both at the same time resulting in one or the other digital Production
being out of focus. This handicap necessitated the breaking up prior to the 2000s the vast majority
of movies were shot entirely on film.
of a scene into long and short angles, with much consequent in the early 2000s digital
loss of realism. With pan-focus, the camera, like the human cinematography became more
eye, sees an entire panorama at once, with everything clear widespread.
and lifelike.” by 2010 digital became the
primary medium for filmmaking
This breakthrough in Citizen Kane allowed Welles to push
storytelling on film into the modern era. It enabled Welles to Present day
capture the scope and size of Kane’s cavernous room
and give the film a sense of scale.
Another ground breaking development is that ceilings can Cinematography has evolved a lot
be seen in some shots. This was a huge advance at the time as since the inception of the motion
beforehand almost all films were shot on sets with no picture. With advances such as the
ceilings, instead with lights above which greatly limited the
range of shots you could achieve. Welles felt that the camera Steadicam and drones, we
should show what the eye sees and that it was a bad theatrical now have a vast range of shot
convention to pretend that there was no ceiling. He said that it types and techniques at our
was “A big lie in order to get all those terrible lights up there.”
disposal. All these tools allow
A notable example of this is seen in the encounter between
Kane and Leland after Kane loses the election. A hole was dug the cinematographers of the
for the camera in order to get the extremely low angle. This world to tell their stories in new
development opened up a whole new range of shot types and and more interesting ways than
techniques that could be used to help tell stories visually.
Another key production in cinematography is Stanley Kubrick’s ever before.
The Shining. The film makes excellent use of the then-new
Steadicam. Kubrick and his cinematographer John Alcott And I can’t wait to see what the
create unease by subverting the audience knowledge of film
future holds.
grammar. The audience is used to cuts but instead the shots
hold for extended periods of time, putting the audience on
edge.