This document provides an overview of cinematography, including definitions, techniques, and concepts. It defines cinematography as how a film is photographed, noting key elements like frame rate and persistence of vision. It describes various shots like close-ups, long shots, and angles. It also discusses lighting, camera movement techniques, editing, sound, and film analysis. The document serves as a comprehensive introduction to the technical and artistic aspects of cinematography.

1. What’s Cinematography?
The Best Cinematography
goes to...

2. Dr. James L. Paglinawan
MA IDT, MS MathEd,
Phd Ed Ad
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By:

6. CINEMATOGRAPHY refers to how a film is
photographed.
•The standard rate for a film is 24 frames per
second. If more frames are added to this
second the film will seem to slow down.
•The film will speed up if there are less than
24 frames per second.
•Persistence of Vision
Cinematographer = Cameraman
= Director of Photography
A film is a series of still pictures.

7. CINEMATOGRAPHY
•is the act of capturing photographic
images in space through the use of a
number of controllable elements.
•These include the quality of the film
stock, the manipulation of the camera
lens, framing, scale,
movement and duration, or the length
of the shot.

8. CINEMATOGRAPHY
•is a function of the relationship
between the camera lens and a
light source, the focal length of
the lens, the camera’s position
and its capacity for motion.

9. CINEMATOGRAPHY includes
•Lighting
•Angle
•Level
•Distance
•Movement
•Framing

11. LOW-KEY LIGHTING
- set is dimly lit, with rich shadows and occasional
highlights
- to provide a dark and brooding atmosphere
Titanic (1997)

12. HIGH-KEY LIGHTING
-the set is brightly lit; commonly
used in comedy and musical films
High School Musical

13. “ARTIFICIAL” LIGHTING
- often used in TV commercials, in fantasy,
horror and science fiction films
Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix (2007)

15. STRAIGHT-ON ANGLE (EYE-LEVEL SHOT)
Matrix

16. HIGH ANGLE ( BIRD’S EYE-VIEW SHOT)
Over The Hedge

17. LOW ANGLE or WORM’S EYE-VIEW
Spiderman 3 (2007) Over the Hedge

19. Canted – the framed horizon and poles
are at diagonal angles
Spiderman 3

21. Note: In what
follows, we shall
use the standard
measure – the scale
of the human body

22. EXTREME LONG SHOT
-the human figure is barely visible; this is the framing for
landscapes, bird’s eye-views of cities, and other
extensive entities

23. LONG SHOT
-figures are more prominent, but the background still
dominates.

24. -the human figure is framed
from knees up
-permits a balance of figure
and surroundings
-shots at the same distance
of nonhuman subject are
called medium long shots
Wentworth Miller
PLAN AMERICAIN
(“AMERICAN SHOT”)

25. MEDIUM SHOT
-frames the human body from the waist up
-gesture and expression now become more visible
Prison Break (2005)

26. MEDIUM CLOSE-UP
-frames the body from the chest up
Wentworth Miller

27. CLOSE-UP
-is traditionally the shot showing just the head,
hands, feet, or a small object
-it emphasizes facial expression, the details of a
gesture, or a significant object
Mariah Carey James L. P.

28. EXTREME CLOSE-UP
-singles out a portion of the face (eyes or lips),
isolates a detail, magnifies the minute

31. PAN A pan shot is a camera movement which follows
the action, or reveals previously unframed
space, as it moves horizontally. Pans occur in
varying speeds for dramatic purposes.

32. TILT A tilt shot is essentially a vertical pan, where the
camera moves up and down rather than from
one side to another. Tilt shots often heighten an
audience’s level of suspense as they are
unaware what the shot will uncover.

33. TRACKING/
DOLLY
A tracking shot follows action through
space in a variety of directions. As the
action, or character, moves along the
screen the tracking shot enables the
audience to feel as if they are moving
with the action through space.

34. TRACKING/ DOLLY

35. CRANE A crane shot is achieved by mounting a
camera on some type of crane device.

36. ZOOM

42. EDITING
- is the process of selecting,
arranging, and juxtaposing of
materials in order to bring forth
or reveal a subject or event in
the most dramatic manner or
effective way.

43. SHOT TRANSITIONS
Straight Cut –one shot to another
– simplest transitional device
– ideally, it should pass
unnoticed

44. – presents the image as evenly
emerging out of or retreating into
complete darkness
FADE

45. – presents the image as
evenly emerging from a circular
mask or the reverse, the image
becomes a small picture then
disappears
IRIS

46. – one image becomes
another
– two images, usually of the
same shape or size blend
DISSOLVE OR MELT

47. – one image replaces another as a
moving boundary line crosses the screen
– one image appears to be pushed at
the arrival of another
– both images are briefly on the screen
at the same time but they do not blend
(as in dissolve)
WIPE

48. – two images are on top of one
another, one disappears, one stays
– at the midpoint, both images are
equally half-present
SUPERIMPOSITION

49. OTHER EXAMPLES OF
MONTAGE
(Montage means a series of
superimposed or overlapping
images. Loosely, it is film
editing in general.)

50. MONTAGE SEQUENCE
– it is a segment of a film that
summarizes a topic or compresses a passage
of time into brief symbolic or typical images
– brief portions of a newsreel footage,
newspaper headlines, and the like, can be
swiftly joined by dissolved and music to
compress lengthy series of action into a few
moments

51. VISUAL METAPHOR
– it is the side by side showing
of two or more shots, the first
shot is part of the film’s story
line while the next different
shot has similarities with the
former shot, or vice versa.

53. THE ART OF FILM MUSIC
1. To accompany the main titles of the film
2. To heighten the dramatic effect
3. To give a sense of locale
4. To create or support pace and movement
5. To identify character qualities
6. To predict things to come
7. To establish, maintain, and change mood
Film sound can include silence as the silent
film cannot.

54. 1. Dialogue
2. Voice-over / commentary
3. Sound effects (SFX)
3.1 Atmospheric – sound of raindrops,
thunder, and the like
3.2 Spot effect – sound of a firing gun, a
moving car, etc.
4. Theme Song – the music constantly played
5. Sound of Silence
FILM SOUND

55. ARTISTIC USES OF SOUND
• Asynchronism – one hears the sound but
does not see the one performing
• Sound Metaphor – similarities between
two sounds coming from two different shots
Example:
First shot – a chattering wife leaves
Second shot – a parrot mumbles

56. •Overlap Sound-cut or Extended Sound
– a sound coming from one shot is
continued to be heard though another shot arrives
on screen
• Sound Montage
– a sound is picked up by another sound
and then it “becomes” that sound
Example:
From “The 39 Steps”: in one shot, a cleaning
woman discovers a body and turns to scream. Then
there is a straight cut to a shot of a train, blowing its
whistle as it comes out of a tunnel. We do not hear
the woman’s voice, the shriek of the steam, instead
“becomes” the scream.

57. FILM ANALYSIS
Guide questions formulated by
Cathelyn Caiña-Adajar
based on the Film Appreciation lecture
of Fr. Nicasio Cruz, S.J.
adapted by Dr. James L. Paglinawan,
College of Education, Central
Mindanao University

58. In writing a critical essay about a movie, these are the points to
consider:
I. PLOT
• Is the plot coherent?
1. Are all the scenes relevant / important?
2. Does one know the conflict during the first few minutes
of the film?
3. Are the scenes tightly knit?
• Is the plot probable?
1. Is it credible?
2. Can it happen in life?
• Is the plot interesting?
1. Is it unpredictable?
2. Were you not bored while watching the movie?
3. Does it give the element of surprise and the element of
suspense?

61. • Is the personality of the actor fit for the character he
is portraying?
• Does the actor make good use of his voice?
• Does the actor show appropriate facial expression?
• Are the action/gestures of the actor graceful or
polished?
II. ACTOR

62. III. SETTING
• Is it authentic?
• Are the costumes and props true to the period?
• Does it depict a particular season (summer,
winter, etc.)? What could be
the importance?

63. IV. THEME
• Does the movie have one clear message
about life?
• How relevant is the message?
• Is the message true to a particular
race/country/era? Or is it universal?
• Was the movie able to say what it really
intends to say?

64. V. SEX AND VIOLENCE
• Is it necessary?
• Is it done in good taste?

65. THANK
YOU!