5 Most Powerful Elements of Cinematography

hi I'm siso Dean in this video Let's uncover the five most powerful elements of cinematography understanding these elements will help you create great images so let's roll out the red carpet at number one exposure nothing comes before camera exposure it is the drawing of the image on a camera sensor or piece of film it's best to manually set your exposure how do you do that there are three fundamental settings in your camera that help you manipulate Exposure One one the iso I call it ISO not ISO this setting controls the camera sensitivity to light a

higher ISO makes your image brighter but can introduce graininess much like taking a photo at night with a smartphone typically a lower ISO will give you a clearer crisper image some cameras can have very large ISO numbers you can practically see in the dark however the best ISO to pick is always what is called the native or base ISO of your camera for example on an area Alexa it's ISO 800 it is at this ISO that you get the best dynamic range and image quality from your camera you only want to move away from the

base ISO when you absolutely have to number two aperture this setting adjusts the iris of the camera affecting how much light enters aperture sizes are measured in f- stops or t- stops I have a video on my channel that explains the difference a lower F number like f2.8 means the iris is more open allowing more light in and creating a blurrier background a higher f-stop number like F-16 means the iris is more closed resulting in less light and a sharper image from foreground to background what is the best aperture for film making aperture is a

creative tool and manipulating it gives you a wide variety of image Styles however the most common aperture setting among cographs across the decades has been about a t2.8 on super 35 mm which translates to about a T4 on fullframe cameras start with that and see where you go from there and the third exposure tool is the shutter speed and frame rate these settings are crucial for how motion appears in your footage frame rate measured in frames per second dictates how many images your camera captures each second since this channel is mostly for cographs and filmmakers

the frame rate is most likely going to be 24 FPS films you'll need to go higher whenever you want to create slow motion footage shutter speed on the other hand is the duration that each frame is exposed to light for natural looking motion aim for a shutter speed that is about twice the frame rate so for 24 FPS use a 1x 48 second shutter speed this translates to a shutter angle of 180° at 24 FPS the inpl of these settings ISO aperture and shutter speed determines your camera exposure each setting influences different aspects of your

image in Broad Strokes the iso affects the graining and dynamic range the aperture influences depth of field and sharpness and shutter speed and frame rates impact motion blur and smoothness of course you can use one two or all three to increase or decrease light hitting your sensor exposure is like learning to ride a bike mastering your camera's manual settings is key to controlling how your films look and feel giving you the creative freedom to bring your Visions to life want to know how cograph think about exposure check out my video on the subject I'll link

to it in the description the second most powerful element in cograph is composition how are the separate objects in the image arranged are they in the center of the image or in the side on the background or foreground the combined Arrangement is composition in a nutshell composition isn't just about what's directly in front of the camera it's about the entire scene think about where you place your subjects start noticing everything from extras in the back of the scene to characters at the edges of your frame it's these details that can make or break your shot

a skill cinematographer always pays attention to these parts and constantly adjusts the camera to capture the Dynamics of the scene now a lot of what we know about cinematic composition actually comes from classic painting and portraiture for instance it's common to use the rule of thirds for close-ups positioning the actor's eyes about a third of the way down from the top of the frame while it's great to use these guidelines is also okay to break them if it serves your story just be careful not to leave your frame feeling empty or unb balance with too

much head room or negative space if you have a horizon line ensure it's level unless you're intentionally trying to create a sense of disorientation take a queue from gusan saw in my own private Idaho notice how he uses outdoor elements like the scenes with River Phoenix lying on the road or gazing toward the Horizon these are not just beautiful shots they're meticulously composed to enhance the narrative and here's a pro tip when having characters move through your frame mix it up don't just stick to horizontal movement adding Diagon signal paths can add depth to your

scene and prevent it from looking too staged at number three we have camera movement camera movement isn't just about following your characters around it's about making a choice will your camera be static or will it move in the action in the early days filmmakers were quite limited imagine setting up long tracks for a simple tracking shot or hiding crew members out of sight for a 360° Panorama today thanks to stattic cams gimbals and drones Dynamic shots are accessible to just about anyone without the KNE to disrupt the scene once a formidable challenge in the days

of Limited film reels now anyone can attempt a continuous shot with digital technology planning is key here map out your actor's path and your camera's Journey beforehand start and end your shot with strong compositions and keep adjusting your focus and exposure especially if lighting conditions change remember the camera is as much a Storyteller as your script or your actors mastering its movements can transform your film from good to Unforgettable camera angles camera angles are not just about capturing action they're about enhancing the storytelling through perspective for instance tilting the camera up from a character's feet

to their face can dramatically emphasize their height making them appear larger than life on the flip side an overhead shot tilting down can make the same character seem small and overpowered by their environment by tilting the camera diagonally you create a sense of dizziness or instability perfect for scenes of tension or disorientation it's called The Dutch angle ever heard of the trunk shot quenon Tarantino loves this one it's a shot where the camera looks up at the actors from inside the trunk of a car adding a unique and intriguing perspective to the scene and let's

not forget about the power of drone shots once exclusive to high-budget films that could afford helicopter shots drones now allow even mid-budget Productions to capture breathtaking aerial views that emphasize the vastness of the landscape while unusual angles can sometimes feel showy or distracting used wisely they're invaluable Tools in your cinematography Arsenal they help convey emotions tell stories and bring a fresh perspective to your films this is how camera angles are different from composition where composition is about the graphic design and what you see in the frame camera angles dictate how we viscerally react to changes

in perspective it's a point of view number five color you might think color is primarily the concern of set or costume designers while they do play a huge role the way color appears on Camera Falls heavily on the shoulders of the cinematographer first things first let's talk about color temperature it's a key concept that affects every shot whether you're dealing with the yellow glow of tungsten light the Stark brightness of fluorescent light or the natural variability of sunlight each light source has its own color temperature measured in degrees Kelvin for example candl light sits around

1,000 Kelvin and gives off a warm orange Hue while clear sky daylight can reach up to 15,000 Kelvin producing a bluish tint back in the day film stock was made specifically for indoor or outdoor lighting today you'll need to master white balancing to ensure colors look natural across your shots you do this by finding a white object in your scene say a white card and setting that as the white balance reference on your camera this tells your camera hey this is white and it adjusts all other colors based on that reference color isn't just about

accuracy it's about mood tone and style High saturation and Vivid contrast might bring life to a fantasy world whereas a Noir film might use muted colors and low saturation to create a somber mysterious Vibe when planning your shots consider how the colors of the environment interact with your subject's wardrobe and props do these colors clash or complement each other finally while you can tweak some colors in postproduction it's crucial to get as close as possible during the shoot communicate with with your director and set designer to ensure everyone's Vision aligns and what about lighting isn't

that a fundamental element in cograph lighting is an external factor it's a tool you could use a sun for exposure or practical lights or whatever ambient light already exists in the scene this is similar to how a camera lens is just a tool to help you with composition and exposure all the major elements of cinematography are intrinsic to the image itself they're fundamental and can't be changed or eliminated a shot that has no camera movement is a static shot a frame without camera angles has no perspective or point of view a film with no colors

is called black and white film and that's at least two colors and a lot of Gray Shades so there you have it the five most important elements in cinematography are exposure composition camera movement camera angles and color thank you for watching now check out this next video