Cinematography Quick tips...

ruester

ruester

Well-known member
So, I've learned a couple good tips from some cinematographers I know, and from DVXUsers here, and would love to learn more quick tips from others such as yourselves! (maybe this could even be a sticky;) I wanted to condense them all into a post. If we could keep the questions out and just post tips that would be awesome too, but I am no boss here, lol.

I would love tips for every situation - film, documentary, Interview, run-n-gun, etc.

So here's a couple of awesome tips I picked up (for newbies, but feel free to throw advanced tips in as well) -

1) Shoot the shady side... I learned this from a director friend, and it works awesomely, if you ever notice on TV shows and film the shady side of the actor is the side the camera is on (of course you need fill to keep the exposure in check, unless you're going for that) but it comes in very handy on exterior scenes with no budget for lights.

2) Shoot the longest shot you can achieve with the space you have for DOF - with the prosumer cameras all of us use, interchangeable lenses are nill without adapters, so zoom in, and back up to achieve the best Depth of Field possible.

Well, I actually thought I had more when I started this, but hopefully others can fill this post up as well. I am a relative newbie, but I don't get to contribute very often because I am usually asking questions and trying to get help myself. Haha.

Thanks all,
Aza
 
Here are my list of the 7 camera decisions for every shot...taken from my filmmaking book "Just Shoot it!"
1. What lens/focal length do you want and why?
2. How far will the camera be from the subject?
3. What will the vertical camera angle be in relation to the subject?
4. What will the horizontal camera angle be?
5. Will the camera be static or moving?
6. What will be in focus, soft focus and/or out of focus within the shot?
7. What exposure do you want?

3. and 4. are often called angle plus angle shooting.

You must know why you are placing the camera in the position you are placing it for each shot. Our goal is to manipulate the audience by the way we shoot...knowing how each set up impacts the audience. How do the various lenses, angles, composition, lighting, etc. impact and manipulate the audience?

Keep shooting

www.filmschoolnow.com
 
pwyll said:
1. Buy a camera
2. Go on forums and start doling out advice.

Step 1 is optional
Click to expand...

OMG! You mean I didn't have to buy a camera! Or get those DVDs, or books, or ASCs, or watch a couple hundred films, or practice for hours upon hours? Crap, where were you years ago when I needed you?
 
If you're shooting an exterior street scene, get buckets of water to wet down the street/sidewalks. It's an old trick for adding a subtle glint and light bounce. It looks especially good at night.

As for the DOF thing, I don't think the tip should be to use shallow DOF wherever possible, but rather to learn how to control and use DOF appropriately. Deep focus can look quite amazing when the shot calls for it.
 
-Watch your backgrounds, particularly to make sure nothing is growing out of the subject's head.
-If the background is boring, add a plant, bookshelf, or tape a picture to the wall.
-Don't shoot in a white room if you can avoid it. Dark-coloured rooms look best.
-Shallow DOF is great if you don't have control over the background, or any set design. Otherwise it makes the shot boring. Give the viewers something to look at instead of a blur.
 
- Rule of Thirds: Use it. But it's still just a guideline. Don't be afraid of symmetry.
- Watch the EDGES of your frame. Don't let lines intersect the edges of the frame without considering them.
- Handheld can evoke more than just "putting you in the action." Assess the emotional impact of handheld on the moment being filmed.
- Placement of the subject within the frame colors, and sometimes defines, the emotional impression the viewer will have of that subject.
- Sometimes gear does matter to get a certain result, but figure out the core of the result, narratively, before you buy that new piece of gear. You may be able to achieve the same thing more simply, more effectively, with less gear and more resourcefulness and creativity.
- Remember that you're only providing a portion of the content - albeit the most visually-composed portion - and treat all other disciplines with the respect they deserve for underscoring what appears in your frame.
 
9 times out of 10 the problem is not with lighting or your shot, but with the production design.
 
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