Cinematography : Theory and Practice - Image Making for Cinematographers, Directors and Videographers

by Brown

• ISBN13: 9780240805009
• ISBN10: 0240805003
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-09
• Publisher: Elsevier Science

Summary

Lavishly produced and illustrated, Cinematography covers the entire range of the profession. The book is not just a comprehensive guide to current professional practice; it goes beyond to explain the theory behind the practice, so you understand how the rules came about and when it's appropriate to break them. In addition, directors will benefit from the book's focus on the body of knowledge they should share with their Director of Photography. cinematography presents the basics and beyond, employing clear explanations of standard practice together with substantial illustrations and diagrams to reveal the real world of film production. Recognizing that professionals know when to break the rules and when to abide by them, this book discusses many examples of fresh ideas and experiments in cinematography. Covering the most up-to-date information on the film/digital interface, new formats, the latest cranes and camera support and other equipment, it also illustrates the older tried and true methods.

Author Biography

Blain Brown is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles. He has been Director of Photography on feature films, commercials, music videos, and documentaries shot on film, High Def, 24p, and digital

Table of Contents

introduction	ix
filmspace	1	(28)
Cinematic technique	2	(4)
Subjective and objective POV	6	(3)
The building blocks of scenes	9	(3)
Character shots	12	(3)
The fine art of cheating	15	(2)
The master scene method	17	(2)
Transitions	19	(3)
Coverage	22	(3)
Plan scene	25	(1)
Hitchcock's rule	26	(1)
Triple take or overlapping method	27	(1)
Montage	28	(1)
Conclusion: a mixture of techniques	28	(1)
visual language	29	(16)
Design principles	31	(3)
The three dimensional field	34	(1)
Depth	34	(3)
Forces of visual organization	37	(6)
Film and video composition	43	(1)
Basic composition rules for people	44	(1)
lens language	45	(16)
The lens and the frame	46	(1)
Lens perspective	47	(7)
Deep focus	48	(1)
Compression of space	49	(1)
Manipulating perspective	50	(1)
Selective focus	51	(3)
Image control	54	(7)
camera dynamics	61	(18)
Motivation and invisible technique	62	(2)
Types of moves	64	(2)
Moving shots	66	(2)
Camera mounting	68	(1)
Dolly terminology	69	(3)
Cranes	72	(2)
Car shots	74	(1)
Aerial shots	75	(1)
Other types of camera mounts	76	(1)
Steadicam	76	(1)
Motion control	77	(2)
cinematic continuity	79	(24)
Types of continuity	80	(3)
Continuity of content	80	(1)
Continuity of movement	80	(1)
Continuity of position	81	(1)
Continuity of time	81	(2)
The line	83	(1)
What establishes the line?	84	(1)
Screen direction	84	(6)
Deliberately breaking the rules	85	(2)
Reverse	87	(1)
Cheating the turnaround	88	(2)
Cuttability	90	(1)
Other issues in continuity	90	(6)
Introductions	96	(2)
Other editorial issues in shooting	98	(1)
Jump cuts	98	(1)
The six types of cuts	99	(4)
exposure	103	(24)
Light as energy	104	(1)
F/stop	104	(1)
Exposure, ISO and lighting relationships	104	(2)
Inverse square law and cosine law	105	(1)
ISO speeds	105	(1)
Light and film	106	(10)
Densitometry	109	(4)
Brightness perception	113	(1)
Contrast	113	(3)
Determining exposure	116	(1)
The tools	117	(1)
The Zone System	118	(3)
The grey scale	121	(6)
Place and fall	124	(1)
Exposure and the camera	125	(2)
color theory	127	(14)
The nature of light	128	(3)
Color perception	129	(2)
The color wheel	131	(4)
Hue, chroma and value	133	(2)
Color mixing	135	(1)
Complementary	135	(1)
Advancing and retreating color	135	(1)
Film and video colorspace	135	(1)
Color harmonies & the interaction of color	135	(3)
Color models	138	(2)
Additive colors	138	(1)
Subtractive colors	138	(1)
The CIE color system	139	(1)
Digital and electronic color	140	(1)
the tools of lighting	141	(16)
HMI	142	(3)
Xenons	145	(1)
Carbon arcs	146	(1)
Tungsten fresnels	147	(2)
PARs	149	(2)
HMI PARs	151	(1)
Soft lights	151	(1)
Color corrected fluorescents	151	(1)
Cycs, strips, nooks and broads	152	(1)
Chinese lanterns and spacelights	153	(1)
Self contained crane rigs	154	(1)
Lekos	154	(1)
Balloon lights	154	(1)
Portable units	155	(1)
Day exteriors	156	(1)
lighting as storytelling	157	(10)
Origins of motion picture lighting	159	(2)
Film noir	159	(2)
Light as visual metaphor	161	(6)
controlling color	167	(10)
Color temperature	168	(2)
Color balance of film	170	(1)
Correcting light balance	171	(1)
Light balancing filters	171	(3)
Correcting off-color lights	174	(2)
Stylistic choices in color control	176	(1)
optics	177	(16)
Physical basis of optics	178	(1)
F/stop	179	(1)
Focus	180	(2)
Circle of confusion	182	(1)
Depth-of-field	183	(4)
How not to get more depth-of-field	183	(1)
Hyperfocal distance	184	(3)
Macrophotography	187	(4)
Frazier lens and Revolution	191	(1)
Lens tests	192	(1)
video and high def	193	(26)
Basics of video	194	(7)
The video signal	194	(3)
The waveform monitor and vectorscope	197	(1)
SMPTE color bars	198	(1)
The vectorscope	199	(2)
Setting up a color monitor	201	(1)
The PLUGE	201	(1)
Camera white balance	202	(1)
Analog and digital colorspace	203	(1)
Digital video encoding	204	(1)
Is it broadcast quality?	205	(1)
Timecode and edgecode	205	(3)
Video frame rate	205	(1)
Drop-frame and non drop-frame	206	(2)
Shooting High Def video	208	(2)
10 things to remember when shooting High Def	210	(1)
Lighting for High Def video	210	(1)
Shooting digital video	211	(1)
Transferring video to film	212	(7)
NTSC and 3:2 pulldown	212	(1)
Prepping for telecine	212	(7)
image control	219	(22)
Color printing	220	(1)
Controlling color and contrast	221	(4)
How flashing works	221	(1)
Varicon	222	(3)
Bleach bypass and other processes	225	(3)
Skip bleach	228	(1)
Exposure compensation in bleach-bypass	228	(1)
Other techniques	228	(3)
Cross processing	228	(1)
Printing negative as interpositive	229	(1)
Transfer from print	229	(2)
Filter types	231	(5)
Diffusion and effects filters	231	(1)
Nets	232	(1)
Contrast filters	233	(3)
Conversion filters	236	(2)
Using filters in black-and-white photography	238	(1)
Polarizers	238	(1)
Density filters	238	(3)
set operations	241	(16)
The shot list	243	(1)
The Director of Photography	244	(1)
The team	245	(9)
Camera crew	245	(6)
Electricians	251	(1)
Grips	251	(3)
Set procedures	254	(3)
technical issues	257	(26)
Sun location with a compass	258	(2)
Flicker	260	(3)
Filming practical monitors	263	(2)
Chroma key and Ultimatte	265	(3)
Lighting for bluescreen/greenscreen	266	(2)
Dimmers	268	(2)
Working with strobes	270	(2)
High speed photography	272	(1)
Lighting for extreme close-up	272	(1)
Underwater filming	273	(2)
Effects	275	(8)
professional formats	283	(6)
acknowledgments	289	(1)
bibliography	290	(2)
filmography	292	(1)
index	293