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I am going to ask you all because there is simply no activity for the past few days. It's not long so please read and tell me what you think. This is really important and I need some real advice so please dedicate five of minutes of your busy life to me, for once.
I'm writing a "review on an aspect of film" and for that reason, I chose Cinematography. The good thing is not many of you know too much about cinematography, in detail. So, please tell me how this sounds. Is it boring, considering you're not into film/cinematography? Is it interesting? Is it informing? The following is a draft and the paragraphs may not be in the correct oder.
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Through the years in motion pictures, cinematography has become a form of art rather than just an aspect of film. The exceedingly imaginative and devoted process of cinematography allows a sense of creativity, more so than any other aspect of filmmaking. Cinematography is a fascinating form of expression which characterizes emotion and tells a story through images. It is a craft of filmmaking which requires the cinematographer to thoroughly understand the effects of light, color and shadow. By establishing the mood and tone of a film, cinematographers help create an appealing atmosphere through their personal techniques.
A cinematographer interprets the director’s vision and brings life into an idea. They are primarily in charge of controlling the overall look of the film and are the deciding factor for any camerawork. Gordon Willis (The Godfather, Annie Hall) and Roger Deakins (Fargo, No Country for Old Men) have both made a significant impact on American cinema with their technical approach to filmmaking. Deakins’ history as working as a still photographer enables him to photograph landscape like no other cinematographer. Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist was known for his minimalism behind the camera; his preference of using natural light while filming helps create a sense of realism throughout the film. Cinematographers, with the help of directors, captivate and engage viewers through dramatic, moving performances and scenes.
Gregg Toland revolutionized filmmaking techniques with his use of deep focus in Citizen Kane. Shallow depth of field was used in film to leave the background out of focus. However, Toland’s inventive use of lighting techniques caused everything in frame, including the foreground and background, to remain in sharp focus. This technique became known as deep focus and is akin to what our eyes see in real life. Camera angles and movements allow cinematographers to influence a viewer’s psychological response as well. Irmin Roberts, second-unit cinematographer on Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, invented the dolly zoom. In this effect, the camera starts at a distance from the subject with the lens completely zoomed in. As the camera tracks into the subject, the lens begins to zoom out so that the subject in the foreground remains the same size. This causes the surroundings to increase in depth of field as the lens is zoomed out causing a sense of distance between the subject and backdrop. The dolly zoom provides an unsettling effect which disrupts the viewer’s visual perception.
American filmmakers Stanley Kubrick and Woody Allen both have a very different approach to filming. Kubrick’s knowledge of lighting and cinematography enabled him to create some of the most visual films in the history of cinema. Woody Allen’s influence of European cinema can literally be seen through the scenes of his films. His preference of allowing the camera to become a character puts the audience directly into the action. Unlike other American filmmakers, Allen and his cinematographers have relied less on the close-up of an actor and resorted to long, uncut takes during key scenes. Cinematographers also have the privilege of filming a scene while viewing the action through the lens of their cameras. “That’s the thing I love about what I do,” says Deakins, “watching fine actors become their characters in front of my lens whilst everyone else is just seeing them on a monitor.”
Filmmaking, in general, is a collaborative process where artists come together to achieve a certain goal. Screenwriters use dialogue and description to tell a compelling story, directors intensify the story through the performances of the actors, and cinematographers use their creativity behind the camera to enhance and expand the story.
I'm writing a "review on an aspect of film" and for that reason, I chose Cinematography. The good thing is not many of you know too much about cinematography, in detail. So, please tell me how this sounds. Is it boring, considering you're not into film/cinematography? Is it interesting? Is it informing? The following is a draft and the paragraphs may not be in the correct oder.
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Through the years in motion pictures, cinematography has become a form of art rather than just an aspect of film. The exceedingly imaginative and devoted process of cinematography allows a sense of creativity, more so than any other aspect of filmmaking. Cinematography is a fascinating form of expression which characterizes emotion and tells a story through images. It is a craft of filmmaking which requires the cinematographer to thoroughly understand the effects of light, color and shadow. By establishing the mood and tone of a film, cinematographers help create an appealing atmosphere through their personal techniques.
A cinematographer interprets the director’s vision and brings life into an idea. They are primarily in charge of controlling the overall look of the film and are the deciding factor for any camerawork. Gordon Willis (The Godfather, Annie Hall) and Roger Deakins (Fargo, No Country for Old Men) have both made a significant impact on American cinema with their technical approach to filmmaking. Deakins’ history as working as a still photographer enables him to photograph landscape like no other cinematographer. Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist was known for his minimalism behind the camera; his preference of using natural light while filming helps create a sense of realism throughout the film. Cinematographers, with the help of directors, captivate and engage viewers through dramatic, moving performances and scenes.
Gregg Toland revolutionized filmmaking techniques with his use of deep focus in Citizen Kane. Shallow depth of field was used in film to leave the background out of focus. However, Toland’s inventive use of lighting techniques caused everything in frame, including the foreground and background, to remain in sharp focus. This technique became known as deep focus and is akin to what our eyes see in real life. Camera angles and movements allow cinematographers to influence a viewer’s psychological response as well. Irmin Roberts, second-unit cinematographer on Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, invented the dolly zoom. In this effect, the camera starts at a distance from the subject with the lens completely zoomed in. As the camera tracks into the subject, the lens begins to zoom out so that the subject in the foreground remains the same size. This causes the surroundings to increase in depth of field as the lens is zoomed out causing a sense of distance between the subject and backdrop. The dolly zoom provides an unsettling effect which disrupts the viewer’s visual perception.
American filmmakers Stanley Kubrick and Woody Allen both have a very different approach to filming. Kubrick’s knowledge of lighting and cinematography enabled him to create some of the most visual films in the history of cinema. Woody Allen’s influence of European cinema can literally be seen through the scenes of his films. His preference of allowing the camera to become a character puts the audience directly into the action. Unlike other American filmmakers, Allen and his cinematographers have relied less on the close-up of an actor and resorted to long, uncut takes during key scenes. Cinematographers also have the privilege of filming a scene while viewing the action through the lens of their cameras. “That’s the thing I love about what I do,” says Deakins, “watching fine actors become their characters in front of my lens whilst everyone else is just seeing them on a monitor.”
Filmmaking, in general, is a collaborative process where artists come together to achieve a certain goal. Screenwriters use dialogue and description to tell a compelling story, directors intensify the story through the performances of the actors, and cinematographers use their creativity behind the camera to enhance and expand the story.
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