JCM312/Cinematography

Color, enlarged versions of the textbook illustrations are available online.

• Group One: Explain what focal length is -- using the textbook illustrations.
  • How does a zoom in/out look different from a track in/out?
• Group Two: Explain what depth of field is -- using the textbook illustrations.
  • What is the difference between deep focus and deep space (as in mise-en-scene)?
• Group Three: Explain what aspect ratio is -- using the textbook illustrations.
  • Also explain letterbox and pan-and-scan.
    • Examples:
      • He Said, She Said letterboxing
      • He Said, She Said pan and scan
  • What are the aspect ratios of Day for Night, Shakespeare in Love and Monster's Ball?
• Group Four: Explain the significance of camera framing, height, and movement -- using the textbook illustrations.
  • Examples:
    • Dollying and Dollying result
    • Handheld
    • Steadicam
  • When might movement be used that does not follow a character? How is a Steadicam shot different from a handheld shot?

Cinematography and narrative

In the Monster's Ball scene we viewed, what narrative functions does the cinematography serve? Be sure to consider deep/shallow focus, focus shifts and framing in the third shot.

Shot three from the Monster's Ball scene begins.

Shot three from the Monster's Ball scene continues.

External links

1. Television illustrations, Chapter 8.
2. Cinematography illustrations
3. Monster's Ball frame grabs
4. Henri 2, Paw de Deux: black-and-white

Bibliography

1. Jeremy G. Butler, Television: Critical Methods and Applications, 4th Edition (New York: Routledge, 2012).
2. David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction (New York: McGraw-Hill).