• Cinema is the business and art of making films.

Cinema, or
motion picture, is the art of moving images; a visual
medium that tells stories and exposes reality. A cinema is a
place where people go to watch films for entertainment.
You can talk about the cinema when you are talking
about seeing a film in a cinema.
TIME SPACE SOUND
- Physical time - Scale
- Psychological time - Lighting
- Shooting Angle
- Dramatic time - Cutting
- Camera Movement
- Framing
• Since the images of moving pictures move in time, time is the most
important element of the cinema. In the cinema it is subject to
contraction, expansion, breaks or leaps through the manipulation
of the director. The three aspects of time in the cinema are physical,
psychological, and dramatic time.
 Physical time is the time taken by an action as it is being filmed and as
it is being projected on the screen. A film may actually show what is
happening in real life -- a man walking, a horse running, a car in pursuit of
another. But the film does not capture these events in actual motion. In the
cinema, a series of still photographs are projected on the screen, each
"frame" visible only for one. forty-eight of a second. While one image is
being replaced by another, the screen is dark for another forty-eight of a
second. Thus, in a sound film projecting twenty-four frames per second,
there are pictures for half the time and none at all during the other half. But
we do not notice the blank screen because our eyes hold the image for a
longer period of time than is required for the projection of a frame.
Psychological time is our emotional impression of the duration of the action
that we experience as we watch a film. In real life mental state affects the
way time passes for us. Time seems to move fast when we are happy.
Boredom, idleness, or tragedy makes time lag. In the cinema, time also
affects our mental state. Rapid action or loud, lively music makes time go
quickly and induces in us a feeling of exhilaration and excitement, while a
slow pace can induce a melancholy mood or grief and slow down time.
Dramatic time refers to the time taken up by the events which are depicted
in the film. The cinema may use a story-line that covers a single day in the
life of a character or the whole history of a civilization. A story that
embraces a long period of time may utilize flashbacks, include a prologue
or an epilogue, or exclude the inessential since it can be controlled from
shot to shot. A film that depicts a brief period of time may be extended
through repetition of different aspects of the events or the inclusion of
scenes which to us may seem to flash across the screen when in truth it
covers a few minutes.
• Our experience of space in reality
is very different from our
experience of space in the cinema.
We can move about in the physical
space that surrounds us, but space
on the screen is flat, and our
perception of depth is just an
illusion.
• The camera lens captures the images
we see on the screen. When we look at
a desk, we see several of its sides and
feel its volume. A picture of it reveals
what the camera has photographed.
Unless an attempt is made to make the
three-dimensionality of the desk
apparent, it will look flat on the screen.
The three-dimensionality and
"realness” of the desk and other
objects are achieved through the use of
scale, shooting angle, and lighting - the
rudiments of the art of the film.
Scale refers to the size of objects on the screen and their relation to
the surrounding area. Our perception of the size of objects on film is
artificial and very much unlike our everyday experiences. When we
see only one or a few trees on the screen, with no other objects near
them, we unconsciously assume that they are as tall as the ordinary
trees we see around us. But if we see a man's foot which is as big as
the trees, we are no longer sure about their size. Are they dwarf
trees? Or does the foot belong to a giant? If a house which is smaller
than the trees is shown, we conclude that a giant is standing by the
trees and the house.
Film spectacles, whether about prehistoric times or episodes of war,
make use of models on a tiny scale taken at close range to create an
impression of actual dinosaurs and battlefields. On the other hand, by
making props and sets very large, human beings as well as big
animals can be represented as dwarfs. Another way in which the
screen and camera can "deceive" us about size of objects is through
the location of the camera in relation to the subject. Depending upon
the distance of the camera from the object being photographed or
upon the type of camera lens used, the size of objects can be changed.
This is another means used to give the illusion of depth in the film.
By the position of lights, a filmmaker can create areas of light and
dark, and increase or decrease depth.
The camera may record scenes from different angles. Angles are
varied to allow the director to show his concept of the object or the
character in the film. Shooting angles can express subjectively what
things are like as they are seen from the point of view of a
character. We may see a scene from the eyes of a moving person or
one in a reclining position, for instance.
In the cinema, we experience space and objects continuously. Different parts of
space appear before us. One scene succeeds another without interruption although
they may be oceans apart. Or a scene in the past replaces one in the present. This is
made possible by shot changes called cutting or montage.
Montage enables the director to show only the scenes the story requires to further
its action and provide variety. It helps him eliminate unwanted scenes. He
sometimes takes several shots of a particular scene and selects only those that are
important to his story. He uses cutting to build up a picture of an object, an action,
or a person. Cutting can also make space seem larger. A number of shots taken of
a crowd can exaggerate its size while a half dozen shots of a small room from
different points of view taken in succession may make it look large and impressive.
A change of view may be made by the continuous movement of the camera
while shooting instead of switching from one shot to another. Camera
movement helps us experience the gradual growth of ideas or emotions. If the
whole camera is moved bodily while taking pictures of a scene, a tracking
shot is taken. The camera may move forward, backward, vertically,
diagonally, or horizontally. It may start off with a long shot of a scene and
then move forward, closer to the object, for further concentration. It may show
the window of a house and then move backward to show the entire house
and its surroundings. It may follow an elevator going up and down.
The picture in a film is a fixed rectangle which shows only a fragment of
reality. Because of the cinema's limitations, the director has to choose,
isolate, or limit the subject or show only that which is significant. Framing
brings about the balance and unity that one sees in a film for it is used as
the basis of the design. It can give a highly dramatic effect and can capture
and hold the audience's attention.
• Real life is a world filled with sounds, but a film need not record all these
sounds to project its own reality on the screen. In fact, the film artist is free to
select only those sounds that he deems useful and relevant to the unraveling
of his thoughts and ideas. Just as he limits the focus of his camera to only
those scenes that he finds significant so can he select sounds that he feels are
equally significant and purposive. The intensity, pitch, volume, and texture of
these sounds are recorded in their optical equivalent on the strip of negatives
parallel to the images. Then a light shining through the sound tract as the film
is projected turns these optical variations back into sound waves which we
hear through loudspeakers as we see the pictures on the screen.
• Cinematography is all about the art of visual storytelling. Aside from
skillfully operating a camera and setting up the lighting for every scene, it
involves controlling what the viewer sees and how the image is presented
to them by choosing the right shooting techniques that best tell the story.

14 Basic Cinematographic Techniques

1. Extreme long shot 8. Over-the-shoulder shot
2. Bird’s eye shot 9. Tilt shot
3. Long shot 10. Panning shot
4. Medium shot 11. Zoom shot
5. Close up shot 12. Crane shot
6. Extreme close up shot 13. Tracking shot
7. Dutch angle shot 14. Point-of-view shot
1. Extreme Long Shot
The extreme long shot captures a very wide area to show the scale
of subjects in relation to their environment, like tiny birds in a
forest. It is typically used as an establishing shot when changing
from one big area or city to another.

2. Bird’s Eye Shot

Like the extreme long shot, the bird’s eye shot shows massive scale
but from a much higher angle, to the point where land starts to
show abstract shapes and lines out of roads, buildings, and trees. It
is also typically used as an establishing shot for introductions and
scene transitions.
3. Long Shot
The long, full, or wide shot is a significantly closer shot of an area where
viewers can have a better look of what’s going on, but still not close enough
to actually be emotionally involved in the scene. Subjects are also closer to
the camera but far enough to have their whole bodies in view. It can be
used to make your viewers feel like a casual bystander, such as when your
leading actors are shown walking hand in hand while crossing the street.

4. Medium Shot
The medium shot allows viewers to move in a lot closer, but in a more
informative way than emotional. The frame typically features a person
from the waist up, and are used for general group scenes with
dialogues and interviews.
5. Close up Shot
The close up shot features just the entire head up to the chin or neck to
allow viewers to feel more engaged and affected by the character’s
emotions. By framing less of the background and more of just the face,
you are able to create impact with the character’s facial expressions.

6. Extreme Close up Shot

An extreme close up shot is used sparingly and saved for moments when
you need to increase the emotional intensity of a scene. You can do this by
really zooming in on the character’s face, sometimes just on the eyes, or
even the hands. It works just as well for objects, like the ticking hands of a
clock or brush strokes. While these shots greatly lack context, it’s great for
setting the mood or adding drama and intimacy.
7. Dutch Angle Shot
To execute the Dutch angle shot, you simply need to rotate the camera to either
side until verticals (like people and buildings) are tilted and the horizon is no
longer parallel with the bottom of the frame. It’s another shot that’s used sparingly
in narrative filmmaking, usually to portray uneasiness and disorientation. You can
use this to show a character’s unstable emotional or mental state, or add an
unsettling feeling to a particular scene.

8. Over-the-shoulder Shot
As the name suggests, the over-the-shoulder shot shows an out-of-focus shoulder
and head in the foreground while another person, object, or the background is in
focus. It’s one of the most essential cinematography techniques for use in narrative
filmmaking as it not only adds that much-needed depth to a shot but also aids in
making conversational scenes look as natural to the viewer as possible.
9. Tilt Shot
The tilt shot is as easy as it sounds, but the best way to turn this simple technique
into an elegant shot is to carefully coordinate the careful upward or downward
camera movement with some action within the scene. It can be used as an
establishing shot of a wide-angle view or for slowly revealing something at the
end of the shot.

10. Panning Shot

The panning shot is the horizontal equivalent of the tilt shot. They can be used
simply to show the surroundings, but you can achieve truly professional results
with it by keeping the panning smooth and accurate especially when there’s
action and a carefully composed final frame involved. Remember, such
movements should be well-executed to look very natural and almost
unnoticeable so as not to distract the viewers from the story.
11. Zoom Shot
The use of the zoom shot has evolved over time from being jerky, fast, and
cheesy to being a lot slower and smoother to create a more natural zoom effect
that doesn’t distract viewers. Needless to say, it increases the focus on a scene,
an object, or a character.

12. Crane Shot

The crane shot captures vertical translational motion by moving the camera up
or down by a couple of feet. It used to be achieved with huge and expensive
cranes, but it can now be replicated with drone cameras. Fortunately, it’s a shot
that doesn’t always have to be in every film, but it’s a great shot that will add
production value to your work.
13. Tracking Shot
With a tracking shot, you can create smoother movements and follow your
subject as it leaves the frame, or simply add dynamism to an otherwise static
camera shot. You can even combine the tracking shot with an over-the-
shoulder shot or use any other (out-of-focus) object in the foreground to add
depth and enhance the 3D illusion in your shot.

14. Point-of-view Shot

Finally, another important shot that you can make use of is the point-of-view
(POV) or first-person shot. Your camera can either be steady or moving along its
axis, as long as it shows how and where viewers should look at or scan the
scene and make them feel like they’re in the movie. It can also be accomplished
by fitting your subject with a camera mount.
History of Philippine Cinema