Key Concepts

• Cinematography means "writing with movement."
• This chapter describes cinematographic properties of the shot:
• film stock
• lighting
• lenses

         as well as elements of framing:

• visualization and composition
• types of shots
• depth
• camera angle and height
• scale
• camera movement
• By controlling the speed and duration of shots (affected by the screenplay, cinematography, and editing), a filmmaker can control the relationship of each shot in relation to the others and thus to the rhythm of the film.

Learning Objectives

Once you have read this chapter, you should be able to

• explain the characteristics of a shot, a setup, and a take.
• describe the responsibilities of a cinematographer's two crews of workers.
• describe the responsibilities of the director of photography.
• identify various types of shots in any film and describe the three most commonly used shots.
• define the rule of thirds.
• describe the three basic ways to create special effects.