Research - Cinematography- Miss Begum

What is Cinematography?

Cinematography means the way that the shot is framed, the angle that it is taken in and how the camera moves, thanks to cinematography, the audience is able to see a different representation on the character which allows the audience to respond in different ways.

 These are the shots that we have learned about in lesson

1. Extreme long shot (XLS)-  From the picture above we can see an example of extreme long shot is when you are able to see the character what the character is wearing and the surroundings of the character, this allows the audience to understand what is going on.
2. Long shot (LS)- long shot allows you to see the character the costume of the character, but unlike extreme long shot does not allow the audience to see much of the surrounding 
3. Medium shot - medium shot only allows the audience to see the character from the chest and above it allows the audience to read closely into the characters body language and facial expression.
4. Medium close up-  Medium close up is when the shot allows the audience to see the character from the shoulders above, its very similar to medium shot as it allows the audience to read the characters facial expressions. for example from this shot we can see David from Se7en has all his senses alert as he's got a straight posture and his facial expression is serious showing the audience that he is in a very serious situation.
5. Close up- close up shot is when the audience only see the characters face only. This allows the audience to see the characters facial expression and see if they are feeling negative or positive. For example the above shot allows us to see the distraught look on David. That would lead the viewers to not only feel sympathy for him but also it would lead them to wander what would happen next.
6. Extreme close up- Extreme close up is when the camera is focused on one specific part of the body, it allows the viewer to see the importance of that moment. In thrillers extreme close ups are mostly used in the eye because, when looking at the eye it allows the viewer to interpret the characters feelings
7. Establishing shot- establishing shot is when the viewer is allowed to see the whole location, the whole location is mostly shown at the beginning or sometimes at the end of a thriller. This shot allows the viewer to have insight on.

   
This an extreme long shot taken from The dark knight rises. This shows the entire location of the scene so it establishes where the film will be set. I will look to use an establishing show as one of my opening shots to set the location within my thriller.











This is a Medium long shot from the film golden age. Here it is clear to see the antagonists facial expression which creates fear and intimidation for the audience. When we want to show emotions from our maim characters, I will look to use this size.





Camera Angles

One example of shots is a High Angle shot which has been used to demonstrate the emotion of the protagonist who appears to be fearful and panic-stricken by what he sees  this shot allow the audience to see a bit of the background which looks like in someone's home. This will make the audience feel some sympathy for the character as they see the character in a petrified state in an as the character is on the floor trying to crawl up the stairs for some safety. When we want to show one of characters as vulnerable, I will use a high angle.

 Another example of a shot would be the opposite to the low angle shot , the camera has been set in a low angle to make the character appear powerful and in charge as he's saying something, the shot that has been used also shows the audience the outfit of the character as hes' dressed in a presentable office type wear making him look important. This would make the audience feel aware of his movement and his superiority. This is another angle I will use when I want to show power relations between my characters or my antagonist so it creates fear around them.

 

 Camera Movements

 Tilt shot- is when the camera moves down and up starting from the feet, the movement allows the character to appear mysterious, and will make the audience want to know more about the character.

Panning shot is another camera movement that allows the audience to engage with the film and the character as it will make the audience feel like they are also in the situation that the character is in. Panning shot is when the camera moves across with the character.


Zoom: when the camera goes in or out or a subject or person. This is to emphasize something in detail.


Handheld: this is when the camera is shakey and not stable. This highlights instability within the narrative.


Point of View: This is when the perspective is shown from the character. This can be effective as it puts the audience in the characters shoes.


Crane: flexible free movement of the camera.

Conclusion

In conclusion the research of cinematography has helped me develop ideas for my thriller movie as it has taught me lots of different shots that I am able to choose from at different areas in the movie that will help the audience engage and also help the audience feel what that character is going through.


Some of the cinematography techniques I will use are:
Sizes: CU for fear, MCU to show more of the character and ES to show my locations
Angels: high and low to represent my victim and antagonist in different ways.
Movements: A handheld as I think it will add suspense to my narrative and zoom in's to highlight key emotions.