BasicsOpen menu What Does a Cinematographer Do What is Cinematography What is Digital Cinematography Cinematography Terms What is Motion Blur Lighting EssentialsOpen menu Basics of Film Lighting: 4 Qualities of Light What is Practical Lighting 3-Point Lighting What is Key Light What is Fill Light What is Backlight What is Low Key Lighting What is… Continue reading When is Golden Hour? How to Capture the Perfect Light
Shot List EssentialsOpen menu What is a Shot List? Introducing Shot Lists How to Make a Lined Script How to Make a Shot List Shot List TipsOpen menu What’s in Your Shot List Shot Listing Like a Pro How to Create a Shot List Like ‘Creed’ Matt Komo Shot Lists ShareGrid MV Shot List Shot… Continue reading Mastering Shot Lists: Rian Johnson’s Movies and Directing Style (with Shot List Example)
Whip pans, swish pans, whip shot — whatever you call them, they are a great tool for creating seamless cuts and cool effects in your videos, but understanding how to build an effective whip pan is equally important. Continue reading What is a Whip Pan or Swish Pan: How to Shoot Whip Pan Transitions
Close UpsOpen menu Extreme Close-Up (ECU) Medium Close-Up (MCU) Medium ShotsOpen menu Medium Shot (MS) Cowboy Shot (CS) Medium Full Shot (MFS) Wide ShotsOpen menu Full Shot (FS) Wide Shot (WS) Extreme Wide Shot (EWS) More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List W e’ve all seen films that… Continue reading Medium Shots: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
Close UpsOpen menu Extreme Close-Up (ECU) Medium Close-Up (MCU) Medium ShotsOpen menu Medium Shot (MS) Cowboy Shot (CS) Medium Full Shot (MFS) Wide ShotsOpen menu Full Shot (FS) Wide Shot (WS) Extreme Wide Shot (EWS) More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Even if you’ve seen only… Continue reading What’s an Extreme Long Shot (aka Extreme Wide Shot)?
Types of Camera AnglesOpen menu Low Angle Shot Eye Level Shot High Angle Shots Dutch Angle Shot Overhead Shot Aerial Shot Camera Angle Guide Explore More ShotsOpen menu All Camera Shots Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List When you’re inside a movie or TV show most of the world is built around the… Continue reading The Aerial Shot: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
Finding the right lens for your camera can vastly improve your images and overall production, but learning what you need to know about video and photo camera lenses can be expensive and time-consuming. Continue reading Camera Lens Mounts Explained: Types of Lens Mounts and Adapters
Car chase scenes are fantastic, but they are probably one of the most difficult things to capture. Even if you end up with a relatively successful experience on set, how can you be sure it will work in the edit?Continue reading How to Shoot The Best Car Chase Scene [Mad Max: Fury Road Example]
Dof basicsShallow dofDeep dofDOF GuideTYPES OF CAMERA FOCUS The best photographers and cinematographers use depth of field knowledge for precise control over their images. Establishing your own visual style should occur before you step on set, and it begins with understanding how to control your depth of field.Continue reading The Essential Guide to Depth of Field… Continue reading The Essential Guide to Depth of Field [with Examples]
BasicsOpen menu What Does a Cinematographer Do What is Cinematography What is Digital Cinematography Cinematography Terms What is Motion Blur Cinematography BreakdownsOpen menu Stranger Things Cinematography Better Call Saul Cinematography Euphoria Cinematography Analysis Drive Cinematography Breakdown Blade Runner 2049 Cinematography The Guilty Cinematography Sicario Cinematography Water Light Reflection in Blade Runner Cinematographer StylesOpen menu Roger… Continue reading Roger Deakins Cinematography Tips & Techniques: Complete Guide
Types of Camera AnglesOpen menu Low Angle Shot Eye Level Shot High Angle Shots Dutch Angle Shot Overhead Shot Aerial Shot Camera Angle Guide Explore More ShotsOpen menu All Camera Shots Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List W hat do you get from a low angle shot? Does it make your character seem more… Continue reading Low Angle Shot: Creative Examples of Camera Movements & Angles
It’s been nearly two decades since the release of Sam Mendes’ gangster-epic Road to Perdition and we thought it would be a good idea to look back at what made it so great. Mendes may be more famous for working on films like American Beauty, Skyfall, and 1917, but his work as the director of… Continue reading Road to Perdition: Revisiting the Sam Mendes Classic
Shot List EssentialsOpen menu What is a Shot List? Introducing Shot Lists How to Make a Lined Script How to Make a Shot List Shot List TipsOpen menu What’s in Your Shot List Shot Listing Like a Pro How to Create a Shot List Like ‘Creed’ Matt Komo Shot Lists ShareGrid MV Shot List Shot… Continue reading What’s in Your Shot List: How to Design and Communicate Your Vision
Cinéma vérité – literally “cinema of truth” – is a style of filmmaking you’ve probably seen more than you realize. You may even have studied it as part of your film education. As a technique, cinéma vérité has been a valuable tool for independent filmmakers for decades, not only for recording events as they happened,… Continue reading Cinéma Vérité — Filmmaking Style That Keeps It Real
Jay Roach has filmed some of the greatest comedies of all time with his work on the Austin Powers trilogy and Meet the Fockers. In recent years, he’s turned his attention to more politically-oriented stories like Trumbo and the upcoming Bombshell. As part of our ongoing partnership with Sundance Co//ab, Jay Roach recently sat down… Continue reading Jay Roach Breaks Down Bombshell
Types of FocusOpen menu Shallow Focus Deep Focus Rack Focus Zoom Shots Dolly-Zoom (Zolly) Tilt-Shift More ShotsOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Create Free Shot List Now Cinematographic and photographic techniques like shallow focus can serve your story or images in numerous ways. And mastering it isn’t overly complicated. Some filmmakers… Continue reading What is Shallow Focus? How Can it Help Your Cinematography?
If you’re a beginner enthusiast videographer, or professional dabbling into new territory, 360 video might be a great new adventure. Capturing immersive 360 degree footage isn’t complicated, but there are a few things to consider. Let’s answer what is 360 video, where does virtual reality come in, and how can you start shooting yours? Let’s… Continue reading What is 360 Video? How to Create An Immersive Experience
Types of Camera GearOpen menu Tripod Handheld Gimbal Jib / Boom Drone Dolly Steadicam Crane Shot TypesOpen menu All Shots & Angles Camera Shot Ultimate Guide Camera Movement Master Class Create Free Shot List Now The crane shot allows the audience to leave a normal point of view, creating a novel perspective that’s inherently cinematic.… Continue reading What is a Crane Shot? And Why Do the Pros Use Them So Often?
Types of LensesOpen menu Lens Basics Prime Lens Zoom Lens Anamorphic Lens Focal LengthsOpen menu Wide Angle Lens (14mm – 35mm) Standard (35mm – 70mm) What is a 50mm Lens Good For 35mm vs 50mm Lenses Telephoto Lens (70mm – 200mm) Specialty LensesOpen menu What is a T-Stop Macro Lens Fisheye Lens Tilt-Shift Lens Split-Diopter… Continue reading What is a Macro Lens? Tips and Techniques on How to Use One
You grew up watching the best fight scenes and loved every bone-cracking minute of them. They are one of the reasons you became a filmmaker, and perhaps you’ve already put together a few of your own. But for some reason… they just don’t play the way you had hoped. It’s not like you don’t know how… Continue reading How to Shoot the Best Fight Scenes Like Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes
