Chapter 4: Cinematography

Learning Objectives

After reading Chapter Four, you should be able to:

• Describe the differences among a shot, a setup, and a take.
• Understand the role that a director of photography plays in film production.
• Describe the basic characteristics of the cinematographic properties of the shot: film stock, lighting, and lenses.
• Understand the basic elements of composition within the frame, including implied proximity to the camera, depth, camera angle and height, scale, and camera movement.
• Define the rule of thirds.
• Describe any shot in a movie by identifying:
• its proximity to its subject;
• the angle of the camera;
• the nature of camera movement, if any, within the shot;
• the speed and length of the shot.
• Understand the ways in which special effects are created, and the various roles that special effects play in movies.