Understanding Cinematography

SYNOPSIS

‘Understanding Cinematography’ is an electronic resource guide to the art and craft of Cinematography and its role in the production process. It is intended for students embarking on a degree course in professional film and video production.

The guide is a personal view of cinematography by Brian Hall A.R.P.S., a former BBC film and video lighting cameraman and, more recently, a freelance Director of Photography and lecturer in cinematography. There are personal anecdotes and tips from Brian and from other cinematographers.

The guide is primarily for students of cinematography but it is also accessible to anyone who has a passion for film and video production. One of its primary aims is to promote the understanding of the skills and problems of other production team members. Teamwork is essential for making a good film and all students must understand this from day one and the guide reinforces this throughout its contents.

‘Understanding Cinematography’ looks at the role of each member of the camera team in detail, from the most junior to the most senior to help readers understand the particular skills of each member of the team. The value of this often only becomes clear when technical problems arise on location and team members have to solve them together, often with limited resources. Being a willing team member is not to be underestimated - this is just as important as technical ability when employers are recruiting graduates.

This guide also takes readers through a little of the history of cinematography and covers those all important technical ground rules - the nuts and bolts if you like – which are designed simply to ensure that things work. Cinematography has its own set of rules and it is essential that students really understand these rules, before questioning their usefulness or learning how to break the rules to their advantage when they make their own films or videos. Light, colour, cameras and optics, exposure, colour temperature, and depth of field are all covered in detail in the guide, as is recording on film, digital recording, composition, lighting, post production issues and health and safety on location.