The Development of

Cinematography

By Katie Wanstall
Over time, cinematography has held a strong role in the position of television and film,
serving the purpose to craft art through motion – picture photography. This involves a variety
of techniques such as lighting, the selection of cameras and lenses, as well as the careful
consideration of angles and movements. In all, it is the final composition that graces the
screen, capturing the visual beauty of cinematography.

Television and film have been round for many years, with technology continuously
enhancing the quality of cinematic experiences. The first ever movie to be released was a
motion picture film called Roundhay Garden Scene directed by Louis Le Prince, which was
recorded in Leeds, England 1888. The film ran at 12 frames per second, the film being 24
frames as a whole.

In contrast, to Louis’ brief two – second film, todays movies typically extend beyond two
hours on average and have a strong sense of colour in the cinematography. This has
evolved significantly since 1888, but we still hold on to old techniques like stop motion. This
approach involves capturing multiple shots at various angles to construct a clean movement
with characters to create a storyline.

Over many decades, the process has been a long yet helpful role in technology, that helped
the evolution of cameras, granting the introduction of new ideas such as colour to further on
grant film to create a stronger impact with the use of colour, creating a better experience for
a movie.

In the early days of cinema, many films started off in black and white and gave directors and
filmmakers a challenge to tell a narrative as today they now rely on colours to tell specific
emotions to the audience. However, back then they were not so lucky as they didn't have the
technology, instead filmmakers would have to use actors with strong actions or music to help
present a better understanding of the scene. Coloured technology didn't happen until around
1899 when Edward Raymond Turner created the concept. Although, it wasn't until 1908 that
a full coloured movie named "A Visit To The Seaside '' filmed on Brighton beach was
produced publicly. With this eight minute film it showed the world that new technology was
upon them and made film more interesting for some. As I was researching the footage, I had
noticed how the colour lacked vibrancy throughout the film, yet the only two colours the
camera could really pick up were red or blue, yet I believe this is because they are two of
three primary colours. With this observation, I am able to suggest that even though colour
had been introduced it still couldn't be used to its full potential at this time.
With the current advancement made in technology, we can now create cinematic
masterpieces that can capture insane details and stunning shots, including close – ups and
establishing scenes better such as the use of drones. Directors and cinematographers are
now able to use the camera to the best of their ability with these tools to their fullest
potential, and not being held back, skilfully using lighting to establish the mood of a scene.

For instance, in a sad and moody scene they tend to use a dark shadowy light to resemble
sadness, I’ve observed how the background and tones are often darker with a blue hue as
well to convey the emotional weight. Directors may choose to position the camera closely to
capture intense emotions to get a better inside read on the actor, or alternatively pan away
to create an empty space symbolising the characters contemplative thoughts and feelings in
that particular moment.

In 2018, “Blade Runner” was elected for the best cinematography, recognized as the best in
its class for that year. The film has a unique style as many of the shots from the film are
quite wide and gives us a better knowledgeable understanding of the characters
surroundings. Many scenes are deliberately immersed in a mist or fog, that helps aid to the
mysterious atmosphere and giving us a sense of uncertainty about what will occur next, yet
at the same time this film uses vibrant and colourful shots that present the future ahead,
giving us a powerful feel that this movie is about not just the past but the future.
There is a rule that is followed in cinematography which I consider and that is being able to
tell your story through the camera, without relying on the sound but focussing on how you
narrate a story. As an example, I found Charlie Chaplin who was a filmmaker and most
popular in 1918 that made his films in black and white, completely being silent and only
using music to portray emotion. Through his bubbly acting, he was able to communicate his
narrative and emotions towards his audience.
In today’s cinema, the strategic use of silence remains a powerful tool, it is capable to build
suspense and raise various emotions. Particularly we see this used in genres like romance,
horror or thriller. The
prolonged use of a slow panning shot can grow unnerving when used in a horror film, this is
deliberately used with a slow pacing to grow suspense, almost making it obvious there will
be a sudden jump scare, which intrigues them to be scared as if they are almost the
character in the moment. Whereas romance films may use this quiet feel to give us a
moment to reflect and think how we would feel in their situation, creating a sense of sorrow.
Overall, with the use of camera shots and the way of the background noise, it is able to tell a
visual story rather than speaking it to us as the viewers, being the most important factor.

In my exploration of cinematography and the significance of conveying narratives through

visual elements, I have come to realise that it extends far beyond the camera alone.
Cinematography involves the position of the camera, lighting and various other factors that
play crucial roles. Our technology has advanced in recent decades and the results have
been significant, with cameras progressively increasing in size to deliver enhanced quality
and meet audience expectations. The evolution of colour processing has been a slow and
gradual process but with each passing year there is a noticeable improvement in the quality
of films and CGI, showcasing the continuous refinement of film and tv.

Having acknowledged all these points, I am currently dissatisfied with my own skills in
cinematography, as this is why I chose to study this subject to improve my skills and learn
further about the development so I can learn on my own. I went to seek feedback on my
recent Final Major Project from film specialists, as I was told that several of my shots were
excessively lengthy and could have been a lot smoother if they were cut shorter to create a
better flow. Additionally, I’ve recognised a misunderstanding with certain shots, sometimes
using too many shots within a single scene that crowds it and makes it harder for the
audience to understand what is happening.

I believe that if I take a slower pace for my next Final Major Project and focussing on the
presentation on each scene, I could create more meaningful shots that have some emotional
balance entwined with it. For instance, I want to keep a tense scene close to the actor, yet
also introduce subtle movements to relate to the character's body shaking. This approach
towards cinematography will help the audience to understand the deeper meaning of the
narrative without any dialogue, this would make me a lot happier with the end results of my
project.

Additionally, I also can come to terms with the fact that my lighting hasn’t been the greatest
in my work and that is a crucial aspect in film. At first, I believed it was my camera but yet
that isn’t the case as long as I can make the lighting work alongside. If I were to take more
time setting up certain shots it would overall improve the cinematic quality. I acknowledge
the fact that I tend to grow nervous and rush through projects as I am more focussed on the
amount of time I have rather than the production itself, however I want to break this habit
and take a slow and gradual pace to invest more of my time in lighting. I want to prioritise
quality over quantity so I can ensure that each scene is well lit to achieve the best possible
visual impact.
As a whole, my exploration of cinematography has provided me insights towards its
development over the years, particularly in how lighting and colours have significantly
enhanced the quality of films. Its historical context takes us back to 1888 when stop motion
was a key technique, and it is still used today however CGI has largely taken the lead,
easing the workload for filmmakers. The progression of colour has been developing along
with cameras. Our cameras today are equipped with powerful capabilities and can capture
incredibly realistic shots, allowing filmmakers to explore the entire colour spectrum to convey
multiple emotions, as before there was only red and blue with some subtle colours in the
background. I would like to take some things from my research of cinematography such as
studying all types of angles for certain scenes and moods, along with the lighting that will
accompany it. With this I would like to hope that my end result will be a cinematic short film.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
Roundhay Garden Scene
Wikipedia. (N/A). Roundhay Garden Scene. [Online]. Wikipedia. Last Updated: 15 January
2024. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundhay_Garden_Scene [Accessed 18
January 2024].

Kinemacolour
Science Museum Group. (N/A). Kinemacolor. [Online]. Science Museum Group. Last
Updated: N/A. Available at: https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/search?
q=Kinemacolor [Accessed 18 January 2024].

Louis Le Prince
Wikipedia. (N/A). Louis Le Prince. [Online]. Wikipedia. Last Updated: 5 December 2022.
Available at: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Le_Prince [Accessed 18 January 2024].

A Visit to The Seaside

Old Films and Stuff. (26 December 2019). Amazing Colour Footage From (1908 - 1912) - "A
Visit to the Seaside" / "Atlantic City" HD. [Online]. Youtube. Last Updated: 26 December
2019. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akRm4EsXcgk [Accessed 18 January
2024].

Charlie Chaplin
American Masters. (August 28, 2006). The Unknown Chaplin. [Online]. PBS. Last Updated:
N/A. Available at: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/charlie-chaplin-about-the-
actor/77/ [Accessed 18 January 2024].

Blade Runner
Amazing Shots. (12 January 2021). Amazing Shots of BLADE RUNNER 2049. [Online].
Youtube. Last Updated: 12 January 2021. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5ClsAp49w3c [Accessed 18 January 2024].