Tools of Cinemalography - Research Paper Example

TOOLS OF CINEMATOGRAPHY CINEMATOGRAPHY: Cinematography is one of the most important components of forming a film. Cinematography is termed as “to write with the movement”. The movies move. Now, it is cinematography which directs the movement of the movie and determines how it is seen. A number of tools are used by cinematographers to make the scene presentable in the manner in which the director wants it to be presented. ELEMENTS OF CINEMATOGRAPHY: To discuss the elements of cinematography, a clip from film “TROY” is taken.

The film is directed by Wolfgang Petersen and cinematographer is Roger Pratt. The clip taken is the famous one of the battle between Achilles and Hector “Hector’s Final Battle”. 1. SHOTS: Shot is referred to the view from a single definite position. However, there are a number of views which can be taken by a camera. For example, when Achilles came on the chariot, the camera took a long shot to show that Achilles is alone and there is no one with him. At the nick f time when the battle started, a medium shot was taken to show Achilles and Hector relative position with one another without distracting the attention.

Close-ups are taken to show characters very closely or details of any one thing which the director wishes the audience to see. The close-ups are taken to show the anxieties and sadness of the King and others on Hector’s death. The camera may be kept at eye level as it was during the pre-fight discussion of Achilles and Hector. It may be placed at low angle and at high angle as it was seen during the discussion between the king and Hector. Certain characters may be focused sharply while others may be blurred.

This focuses the attention of the audience. When the Hector met Paris last time, all the characters standing behind Paris were blurred to keep the focus of audience on Paris. 2. COVERAGE: Coverage refers to cover a single scene from several different positions in order to provide director with a number of choices of viewpoints to make use of these in the final film. As we see in the clip, the scene of fight of Achilles and Hector is sometimes showed very closely and sometimes from far away. This all became possible due to coverage 3.

LIGHTING: Lighting is one of the most important elements the cinematographer has to be dealt with. In indoor scenes, different lights are used to minimize shadows or increase them in order to put emphasis. In high-key lighting, bright light is used to brighten everything in the scene with very low contrast between dark and light parts of the scene. On the other hand, in low-key lighting contrasts between light and dark parts of the scene are very high. In the selected clip of troy, the selected light is natural.

The natural light comes from the top and also usually from a single source. Achilles and Hector are kept in such a position that the sunlight brightens both characters. Moreover, the angle of the sunlight is chosen as such that it also brightens the faces of the people standing in the castle. 4. COLOR: Color also plays an important part in the delivery of the scene to the audience with its actual meanings. The color scheme of the set and the costumes present the scene more accurately i.e. directing the audience to see what the director wants them to see.

The colors of the scenes may be changed and filtered by the cinematographer. That is why, in many clips, bluish, greenish or red colors are used in the whole scene. All this is done by cinematographer either by using different lenses or by manipulating colors in the lab. 5. FRAMING: Framing is also an important task of cinematographer. Framing is usually done by placing the camera in such an angle that only a certain portion of the whole scene appears on the frame. The same portion will then appear on the screen.

In the selected clip of troy, at the start of battle, the director intended to show only the important people present in the castle. So, the camera is set by the cinematographer in such a way that, despite the presence of other soldiers in the castle, only the king and nobles appears on the screen. 1. 3.4 Types of Actors. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUENG225.11.2/sections/sec3.4 2. Movie Clips. Hector’s Final Battle. Retrieved from http://movieclips.com/7CDX-troy-movie-hectors-final-battle