Part 2 - Cinematography - Visual Analysis

Part 2 - Cinematography - Visual Analysis

Focus

The cinematographer chooses what is in focus at any given point, thereby directing the audience’s attention to different elements onscreen.

Selective focus involves the cinematographer setting up a shot and choosing which areas of the screen are in focus; the foreground, middle ground, or background.

The act of stopping a film at any moment should result in a meaningful still frame filled with information.

Framing goes hand in hand with the following items:

Balance

Filmmakers try as best as they can to create balance in each frame.

As viewers, the audience is comfortable with order.

Obviously, the balancing of shots is a matter of mise-en-scene as it is of cinematography.

Racking or pulling focus involves changing what is in focus while the camera is running.

This is often seen during conversations, when the cinematographer will shift focus between who is speaking.

Deep focus is a bit more complicated.

What is Being Captured?

When a picture is taken, everything that appears in the viewfinder, or your digital screen is preserved within the confines of that space is called framing and there are many elements to consider when composing a frame of film.

Each shot should be as thoughtful as if it were a classic painting.

Many filmmakers opt not to choose what is in focus for the audience; instead, they use the technique of deep focus to create a shot in which all of the planes (the “grounds”) are in focus at the same time.

This way, the audience gets to decide what they wish to focus on.

In the early 1940s, filmmakers Orson Welles and William Wyler began to perfect this technique, filming entire scenes in one take, the camera remaining motionless, allowing the audience to choose what to focus on.

Thus, the placing of objects in the frame (the element of mise-en-scene referred to as staging) is crucial in the creation of balance.

It is the cinematographer who chooses how to frame the mise-en-scene.

Camera Angle

When it comes to framing, the cinematographer has countless choices to make with regard to where the camera will be when it records.

This involves decisions about the angle, level, height, and distance of the camera, all of which have the capability to alter the meaning of any given shot.

The straight-on angle offers a view that is straight in line with the frame. Think of the camera as being placed at the eye level. The audience is present among the actors.

The high angle, positioned to look down, can be used to accomplish a variety of effects. A character might need to look inferior or weak, or a man on a ledge might have a perilous view.

Of course, the number of angles one could use is huge, because the camera can be placed almost anywhere.

In the world of cinema, there is typically a distinction between three general angle categories.

The long angle, positioned to look up, can also convey a variety of feelings. This angle’s main function is to make a character or subject look superior, powerful, and imposing, but it can also be used to show the POV of a character who is hiding.

Level

Most, if not all, of the shots in any given film will be level.

However, sometimes the cinematographer may tilt the frame to one side to create a skewed view of a scene.

These shots are typical in the horror and film noir genres.

The industry terms for tipping a frame to one side are Dutch angle or canted angle.