Cinematography Insight

Within this week's class session, we discussed everything from lighting to cinematography dynamics. And to be perfectly honest, I am still overwhelmed with the technical terms associated with the camera and lighting of films. All of the different methods and tools cinematographers use to capture the performances we watch every day open up an endless number of options for us rookie film students. It makes me wonder how we will be able to choose which effects to put into our short films. After watching the "Bloody Omaha" short film, which mirrored a scene from Saving Private Ryan and was created by three people, it made me realize that if you understand the dynamics of the camera, lighting, and other special effects, then you can utilize those tools to create an impressive film.

Over the past several weeks, I have noted many different effects that film makers have used and the message they want to send the audience with those effects. Among one of the first effects I was fascinated by, and many other people I am sure, was the transition in Citizen Kane that represented the passing of time. After making my short film with the assigned twenty movie clips, I used different transitions and felt like they truly made the different scenes flow and connect to one another. I feel like a transition such as the one in Citizen Kane would be a tool I would like to use in my group film project. By using such a transition, it seems that it would definitely be possible to do with editing software, but it would also allow our short film to stand out and creatively show the audience an element of the story.

Several other methods that can be used within my group film include differing types of camera shots we have studied. These shots include dolly shots, the close-up, and establishing shots. After studying several elements of photography and understanding the dynamics of the camera, I believe that these different shots could be attainable, making the film more professional. In addition, I would also want to use shots based on symbolism, such as the ones made in Sunset Boulevard. In one scene, there was a deep focus shot into Norma Desmond's house, creating a field of depth. This technique seemed powerful to me. I felt like it was both symbolic to the movie's theme and visually stimulating for the audience. If a shot like this could be made in my short film, then it would be used to symbolize a key theme in the plot or visually enhance the setting.

Other effects that could be made are those involved with the lighting. After learning about the three types of lighting (key, fill, back), it showed me that many different techniques can be made with them in order to set a mood in the movie. Whether my short film has a dark, peaceful, or terrifying mood, the lighting can be used to create the mood by casting shadows on the characters. These effects will allow the audience to experience this mood as well.