Due to ever counting years of experience and advancing technology, even the most ‘mainstream’ film is becoming an incredibly intricate and layered manifestation. Youtube channels are dedicated to long deductions on the precise meaning of (ending)scenes and shots as the amount of visual complexity is thriving. Often times a complete new story can be found in the detailed and carefully scripted staging, composition and movement of a scene. Nowadays, the making of films is an inherently interdisciplinary process and there are many aspects to consider.
This chapter aims to map the most fundamental aspects for visual communication as seen in the current high-end mainstream, explore their potential and hint to creative guides for implementing visual interest in the lower-end productions.
1.1 Fundamental Aspects of Cinematography
Before pressing the camera play button, there are both technical and creative choices the cinematographer needs to consider. The technical choices are the most important in regard of usability of the shot ( Is the image well exposed? What is the frame rate? Is the image sharp? What about film grain?) However, the high-end production cinematographer is hired for more than usability of the shot.
Creative choices are to be made in order to determine the unique style and mood of the film, to determine how the story feels and unfolds visually. Mapping the shots creatively through experimentation with the technical camera guidelines to not simply obey the rules but to express. Perhaps film grain is a stylistic choice to evoke nostalgia, over exposure can be used to signify extreme sensibility or trauma and a slower-than-expected framerate can, in the right circumstances, feel like a weightless dreamlike sequence or an aggressive hang over.
Raising a hand ful of simple questions about the subject matter, POV and audience experience can easily redesign the conceptual look of the production. Consider for example:
- Which props and scene elements should be emphasised?
- Whose perspective are we seeing the scene through? How much light are they able to see?
- How do the characters differ from one another in the frame?
- Which emotions are being expressed (through harshness of light, colour and movement)?
- What does the audience expect to experience/learn from watching this scene?
The next part of this chapter will consider the 4 key film making elements a high-end cinematographer needs to consider when setting a scene visually. Manipulating these elements will help tell the story not through words but through images; a technique used inexhaustedly in high-end ‘cinema’ productions.
– Key Element 1 out of 4 –
1.2 Movement
The first thing most people notice when looking at a shot is movement. Movement is the element which differentiates film from other art forms such as paintings and photography (hence the name MOTIONpicture), and contributes greatly to keeping the scene surprising and cinematic. Cutting on action is a celebrated technique for seamless, invisible editing because of how much attention gets directed towards the movement, making the cut seem almost invisible.
The starting point for successful movement within a scene is by understanding what the scene is about, to then express this in movement. Start with the characters in the scene, how are they feeling? Is there any way the actor can convey that feeling by moving?
If that does not work, take the feeling that is inside the character, and bring it out through the background. Another option is to contrast one person against a group, this way more subtle movements can be extremely provoking due to the contrast introduced in the scene. Cinematic potential can be found when combining suitable motion with the right emotion. Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa was a master at implementing movement to speak for his characters, he distinguishes 4 types of movement in his work:
– Movement of nature
– Movement of groups
– Movement of individuals
– Camera movement
Movement of nature – Sometimes shooting in ‘bad’ weather is a conscious choice. Rain, wind, water, fire, smoke, snow make for great ‘free’ visual effects and can introduce a lot of visual interest. Even when the shots are still, a simple dust of wind can spice up the frame.
Think about how movement of nature can communicate the underlaying feelings of the scene; a heavy-hearted character might perform very well in front of a woodland furiously rattling from heavy wind. Even when the character is still, the audience would understand that there is a sense of restlessness in the story.
Movement of groups – More people in a shot feels cinematic as the movement oftentimes feels bigger when expressed by 2, 4 or 50 people. This is especially powerful during a reaction shot.
Movement of individuals – If someone is nervous they pace left and right, when someone is outraged they stand straight up. Akira Kurosawa used movement of individuals in surprising manners. For example by allowing his actors to pick a movement for their characters to then repeat this movement through different takes, making characters more easily recognisable.
Camera Movement – Just like a scene and a sequence, a single shot should have a clear beginning, middle and end, telling a story of its own. Camera movement allows a single shot to speak for itself. Simply shift the camera, move the characters in your scene and follow that movement.
The camera may track laterally, move around, look away or follow precisely, depending on the story it is trying to communicate. It can be helpful script a long shot to multiple compositions and smaller angles (from over the shoulder, to LS, to CU etc.). Steven Spielberg uses this technique a lot to create a sense of immersion in his famous one-take scenes, blocking and favouring different subjects through camera movement.
– Key Element 2 out of 4 –
1.3 Light
Light is incredibly important when setting up a scene and communicating a story through film. After all, the camera would capture nothing without light, so the way light (and shadows) are shaped, blocked and manipulated literary says everything. Light also helps to direct focus within scenes by assisting the audience in where to look. A rule of thumb is to compose the most important element of the scene to be the brightest, because this is where the eye will naturally move.
When considering how to light a scene, another starting point can be to imagine how your protagonist feels the scene. What does he see? What casts shadows upon him? How does he feel about what he sees? There is a lot of opportunity for creative means when considering the scene from such a viewpoint.
There are four key characteristics of light to consider when lighting a scene, all of which shaping and manipulating the feeling and story of the image.
– Light colour
– Direction of Light
– Quality of Light
– Quantity of Light
Often times the colour of light is only considered in regard of achieving natural looking footage (kelvin set to match a daylight or tungsten standard). While a technically correct white balance is important, intensely altering the colour of the scene can lift your story to new dramatic foundations. Try filming scenes looking too cold or warm by breaking the white balance rules, or mix daylight and tungsten for added interest. Consider how time of day influences the colour of light and add coloured gells to stylish the set lighting even further. After all, being technical is great, but having vision is what is important.
The angle or direction of light is about the placement of the (key) light, determining where the primary shadows will fall and highlights will be. Common directions of light are front light, back light and side light. However, note that the direction of light communicates a lot about the when, as well as the setting and staging of the scene, communicating suggestive hints about what is beyond the frame. Consider how light leaking from above is often used to portray a message from a higher entity, while light falling on the face from below hints at a scary story being told.
The quality of light does not refer to the conditions of the light in regard of favour, but is a technical term to address the light being hard or soft. Hard light is more dramatic and moody in tone, creating sharp shadows and hard high-lights on the subject. Soft light is more diffused and is considered really flattering to the human skin, but soft light also takes away the shadows from a scene leaving a less dramatic impression.
The quantity of light considers the amount of light on set in the context of the camera settings. As the sun rises higher in the sky, the quantity of light increases. The orange warmth of first light slowly fades away, and the contrast between shadow and light becomes more noticeable. These situations demand for different camera settings, such as the use of ND filters, ISO or a change in aperture. The exposure compensation needed is referred to as the quantity of light.
– Key Element 3 out of 4 –
1.4 Colour
If light is the dialogue the cinematographer uses to tell the story, colour can be considered for all forms of speech in between silence and screaming; the vivid palette between light and darkness. With the right colours, an object can reveal just as much as a characters dialogue and coetaneous, reveal the words which can not be spoken.
The language of colour can make a strong emotional impact and some cinematographers even go as far as to put colour as the highest priority. Italian cinematographer Virrotio Storaro believes the use of colour is the ultimate tactic for introduces art in the technical toolkit of film.
Colours can be used to:
1. Elicit psychological reactions with the audience
2. Draw focus to significant details
3. Set the mood/tone of the film
4. Represent character traits or context
5. Show changes or arcs in the story
6. To be more in-tune with a certain character/situation/environment
(Risk, M. 2016.)
Each colour has its own unique mood, but can also be inter pretended in complete different ways depending on the viewers subjective POV and cultural background. Therefor there is no absolute set rules for how to use colour. The emotion the film maker wants to resonate in the scene is a good starting point for motivating the colour associated. There are some subjective guidelines, but keep in mind that often times the strongest movies are those who attribute their own unique correlation to its colour palette, using the colours of the spectrum to represent the individual hero’s journey.
Black – The absence of emotion, there is no light.
Contrasting colours hint to conflict.
Warm tones – Connected/intimate.
Cool tones – Such as cyan and blues feel distance, like a far horizon.
This Color Psychology (LillySeare, 2016) video shows the wide variety of interpretations colour can be applied for, as well as how effective these work.
– Key Element 4 out of 4 –
1.5 Composition & Framing
Exposing your subject through a Long Shot (LS) builds builds distance between the subject and the audience. A Close Up (CU) however, is used to close such distance, making us less aware of the surrounding elements explore facial gestures and detailed movement instead. Those familiar with shot size will know how these techniques form the fundamentals for choosing camera shots. However, not each production uses these techniques to guide their audience as profoundly.
When combining the camera positioning with framing, focus and movement deeper visual meaning can be an addition to the production, creating a visual understanding of the subjects on film which can leave a lasting influence on the way a viewer feels and thinks about the subject. This is not only interesting for high-end ‘cinema’ productions but brings new potential to the lower-end corporate, non-fiction as well. Implementing effective means of visual storytelling connects a feeling to a brand.
The following techniques work especially well when speaking of visual communication through composition & framing in film:
. Those familiar with shot size will know how these techniques form the fundamentals for choosing camera shots. However, when combined with framing, focus and movement deeper meaning can be added to the shots. These more experimental means of visual language involve:
The Extreme Long Shot (ELS) can indicate a feeling of overwhelming surroundings, making the subject appear incredibly small compared with the location.
The God perspective, in which a high angle shot looks down on a subject, creates a similar effect. However, where in the ELS the audience feels as if on the same side as the subject, with a God Perspective there is a sense of superiority towards the subject.
Low and High angle shots emphasize power dynamics. The Bird eye perspective (synonym for High angle shot) is especially interesting to emphasize a sense of scale and movement. Emotions which rhyme well with a Bird eye perspective are isolation, seclusion, interconnectedness but also big emotions like death, victory or escape.
The Dutch angle is mostly used for a sense of disorientation or alteration. For example, the tilt can be used to express how odd or unusual a character is, how outside of reality a situation is or to creatively show power dynamics. Marvel uses a lot of Dutch camera angles to make their movies feel more like comics.
Shot – Reverse Shot. These takes can be shot with a wider lens from in-between two characters so that both individuals each get their separate shots, or through over-shoulder takes with a long lens. Both techniques allow for a different look and feel. When filming in-between with a wider lens (for example 27mm-32mm), non-verbal movements become more powerful, especially when directed forwards to the camera. There is a larger sense of action and movement, making the shot feel more alive and edgy. A wide lens also exaggerates the face. When choosing for an over-the shoulder shot, the takes feel more intimate, as if you are listening in alongside the characters. The long lens will make the faces of the subjects more flattering, and there is much opportunity for creative frame blocking due to the constant foreground element.
– Summing-up; Sub Question 1. –
What (Innovative) Visual Techniques can we identify?
There are 4 key techniques with great visual impact: Movement, Light, Colour and Composition & Framing. All of these technical considerations can be looked at from a more creative stand point for a more cinematic look.
Innovation in the application of visual techniques is partly obtained through the use of new (digital) tools and equipment, but is also obtained through creative application of the more matured key techniques. Following trends and daring to experiment with unconventional means of applying key techniques leads to new ideas and challenging the status quo. However, to successfully apply such unconventional means, mastery of the fundamental ideas which motivate the key features is a must.
Graduation Report Roos M Jansen 