Cinematography-Theory-And-Practice

We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ RulesIt is a well-worn saying that you should “know the rules before youbreak them.” This is certainly true in filmmaking. Newcomers oftentry to do things “the way it’s never been done before.” Sometimes(rarely) the results are brilliant, even visionary. In film, however,reshooting is extremely expensive and sometimes impossible.All of the basic rules of filmmaking exist for good reasons: they arethe result of over 100 years of practical experience and experimentation.Can you break the rules? Absolutely! Great filmmakers do it allthe time. Once you not only know the rules but understand why theyexist, it is possible to use a violation of them as a powerful tool. Ouremphasis here is to not only explain the rules but also the underlyingreasons that they exist.The Scope of this BookWhat does the cinematographer need to know about filmmaking inorder to do the job properly? Almost everything.The knowledge base encompasses lenses, exposure, composition,continuity, editorial needs, lighting, grip, color, the language of thecamera, even the basic elements of story structure. The job is storytellingwith the camera, and the more you know about the elementsof that art the better you will be able to assist the directorin accomplishing those goals. The DP need not command all thesetechniques at the level of detail of the editor, the writer, or the keygrip, but there must be a firm understanding of the basics and moreimportantly the possibilities — the tools and their potential to servethe storytelling and the vision of the director.This is especially true as the task of directing is more and moreaccessible to writers, actors, and others who may not have as broada background in physical production and the visual side of storytelling.In this situation, being a DP who has a thorough command ofthe entire scope of filmmaking but is able and willing to work as acollaborator without trying to impose their own vision in place ofthe director’s is a strong asset. By the same token, to have a reputationas a director who can utilize the talents of their creative teamand get the best from everybody is also a goal to aim for.In this book we cover the storytelling issues, continuity, and providingwhat the editor needs as well as optics, special effects, exposure,composition, filters, color control, and all the other aspects ofcinematography that go into the job — all of them approached fromthe point of view of their value as storytelling tools. The craft oflighting is included here, but for a much more in-depth and thoroughdiscussion of lighting, see the first book, Motion Picture andVideo Lighting. It is also important to note that if you are dedicatedto the idea of using the medium of cinema to its fullest extent andemploying every tool of the art form to serve your story, then lightingfor video or High Def is not essentially different from lightingfor film.Titles and TerminologyCinematographer refers to someone who shoots film or video. Directorof Photography refers to a cinematographer on any type of project.Cameraman/camerawoman/cameraperson is interchangeable with eitherof the above. Although a great deal of production is now done onHigh Def (HD) video, and HD is clearly the wave of the future, ithas become common practice to still refer to it as film and filmmaking.xiv