Cinematography: Theory and Practice: For Cinematographers and Directors

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Introduction
The Website
Contents
01 Writing with Motion
	Writing With Motion
		Building a World
		The Visual Language of Cinematography
		Storytelling With Light
		Defining the Frame
		The Lens and Space
		Perspective
		Light and Color
		Movement
		Camera Angle
		Information
		Detective POV
		Visual Texture
		Visual Metaphor
		Naturalism vs Stylized
	Putting It All Together
02 The Frame
	More Than Just a Picture
	Principles of Composition
		Unity
		Balance
		Rhythm
		Proportion
		Contrast
		Texture
		Directionality
		The Three-Dimensional Field
		Creating Depth
		Relative Size
		Linear Perspective
		Atmospheric Perspective
	Forces of Visual Organization
		The Line
		Compositional Triangles
		Horizontals, Verticals, and Diagonals
		The Power of the Edge
		Frame Within a Frame
		Positive and Negative Space
		Movement in the Visual Field
		The Rule of Thirds
	Rules of Composition for People
		Headroom
		Noseroom
		Other Guidelines
		Lens Height
		Dutch Tilt
	Aspect Ratios
03 Language of the Lens
	The Lens in Storytelling
	Foreground/Midground/Background
	Lens Perspective
	The Lens and Space
	Compression of Space
	Selective Focus
	Flare/Glare
04 Continuity
	Continuity
		Shooting For Editing
		Thinking about Continuity
	Types of Continuity
		Continuity of Content
		Continuity of Movement
		Continuity of Position
		Continuity of Time
	The Prime Directive
		The Action Axis
		Screen Direction
		These Are the Rules—But Why?
	Screen Direction
		What Establishes the Line?
		The Purpose of Screen Direction
		Directional Conventions
		Exceptions to the Rule
		Reverse
		Turnaround
		Planning Coverage
	Cuttability
		The 20% and 30 Degree Rules
		Moving Shots
		Chase Scenes
		Going Through a Door
		Entering and Exiting Frame
		Neutral Axis to Exit Frame
		Prop Continuity in Coverage
		Eye Sweeps
		Group Shots
		Cutaway Eyeline Continuity
		Eyelines in Over-the-Shoulder Coverage
		Eyelines for a Seated Character
05 Shooting Methods
	What Is Cinematic?
		A Question of Perception
		The Frame
	Static Frame
	Camera Angles
	The Shots: Building Blocks of a Scene
		Wide Shot
		Establishing Shots
		Character Shots
		Full Shot
		Two Shot
		Medium Shot
		Close-ups
		Over-the-Shoulder
		Cutaways
		Reaction Shots
		Inserts
		Connecting Shots
		Reveals
		Pickups
		Transitional Shots
	Invisible Technique
	Involving The Audience: POV
		The Fourth Wall and POV
	The Shooting Methods
		The Master Scene Method
	The Master Scene Method
	In-One and Developing Master
	The Developing Master
	Freeform Method
	Overlapping or Triple-Take Method
	Walk and Talk
	Montage
	Establishing the Geography
	Introductions
		The Time
		The Characters
	Other Editorial Issues In Shooting
		Jump Cuts
	Types of Edits
		The Action Cut
		The POV Cut
		The Match Cut
		The Invisible Cut
06 Cameras
	The Digital Signal Path
		Digital Signal Processor
		HD Recording
		UHD
	RAW vs. Baked In
		RAW Camera Signal Path
		Viewing Stream
		Definitions
	Digital Negative
		Chroma Subsampling
	Pixels
		Resolution
		Photosites
		Pixels and Photosites Are Not the Same Thing!
	Digitizing
	OLPF
	Digital Sensors
		CCD
		CMOS
		3-Chip
		Making Color from Black-and-White
		Bayer Filter
		Demosaicing/DeBayering
		What Color Is Your Sensor?
	How Many Pixels Is Enough?
		Shooting Resolution
	Shutters
		Spinning Mirror
		Rolling Shutter and Global Shutter
	Sensor Size and Depth-of-Field
	ISO in Digital Cameras
	Noise
	IR and Hot Mirror Filters
		Bit Depth
		Frame Rates
		The Film Look vs. The Video Look
07 Measuring Digital
	The Waveform Monitor
		External Sync
		Types of Display
	Color Bars In Detail
		Using the PLUGE in Monitor Calibration
		Monitor Probes
		Legal and Valid
	The Vectorscope
	Hue/Phase
	Using the Vectorscope On the Set
		Color Bars On the Vectorscope
		White Balance/Black Balance
		Gamut
	Video Test Cards
		The Deceptively Simple Neutral Gray Card
		Why Isn’t 18% Gray Also 50%?
	Calibration Test Charts
		DSC Labs Test Charts
		The One Shot
		The X-Rite ColorChecker
		ChromaMatch & ScreenAlign
		Skin Tone
		Measuring Image Resolution
08 Exposure
	Exposure Theory
		What Do We Want Exposure to Do for Us?
		Controlling Exposure
		Change the Bucket
	The Elements of Exposure
		Light
		F/Stops
		Shutter Speed/Frame Rate/Shutter Angle
	The Response Curve
		Underexposure
		Overexposure
		Correct Exposure
		Higher Brightness Range in the Scene
	Two Types of Exposure
		How Film and Video Are Different
		We’ll Fix It in Post
		The Bottom Line
		Exposure in Shooting RAW Video
		Digital Exposure
	The Tools of Exposure
		The Incident Meter
		The Reflectance Meter
	A Different World of Exposure
		Setting Exposure with the Waveform Monitor
		F/Stops On the Waveform
		The 18% Solution
	Exposure Indicators in The Camera
		Zebras
		Histogram
		Traffic Lights and Goal Posts
		False Color Exposure Display
		Arri Alexa False Colors
	Strategies of Exposure
		Don’t Let It Clip, but Avoid the Noise
		Texture & Detail
		The Dilemma
	Using Light Meters
		Meter the Key
	Using the Waveform Monitor
		Placing Middle Gray
		Start at the Bottom or Start at the Top
		Expose to the Right
	Zebras
	The Monitor
		Know Thyself and Know Thy Camera
		Blackmagic Camera Exposure Advice
09 Linear, Gamma, Log
	Dynamic Range
	Linear Response
		An Ideal and a Problem
		Linear as Scene Referred
		The Classic S-Curve In the Image
	Film Gamma and Video Gamma
		Video Gamma
		The Coincidence
	Rec.709 and Rec. 2020
		The Rec.709 Transfer Function
		Rec. 2020
		Studio Swing Levels, Full Range and Legal Video
	The Code 100 Problem
		Hypergamma/Cinegamma/Film Rec
		Sony Hypergamma terminology
		Gamma in RAW Video
	The Inefficiency of Linear
	Log Encoding
		Brief History of Log
		Superwhite
		What You See Is Not What You Get
		Log and RAW—Two Different Things
	Proprietary Log Curves
		Sony S-Log
		Arri Log C
		Canon-Log
		Panalog
		RedCode
		Red Log
	18% Gray In Log
		Variation in Log Curves
10 Color
	Color Terminology
		Color Temperature: The Balances
		Warm and Cool
		White Balance, Black Balance, and Black Shading
		Magenta vs. Green
	The CIE Diagram
	Gamut
	Video Color Spaces
		Rec.709 and Rec. 2020
		DCI P3
	AMPAS ACES Color Space
	The Matrix
	Color Balance with Gels and Filters
		Conversion Gels
		Light Balancing Gels
		Color Correction Gels
	Correcting Off-Color Lights
		HMI
		Industrial Lamps
		Color as a Storytelling Tool
		Film Color Palettes
11 Image Control
	Getting the Look You Want
	At the DIT Cart
		What Happens At the Cart
	Color Correction and Color Grading
		Lift/Shadows
		Gamma/Midtones
		Gain/Highlights
		Curves
	Log Controls
		Log Offset Color and Master Controls
		Exporting and Reusing Grades
	LUTs And Looks
		1D LUTS
		3D LUTS
		LUTs and Looks: What’s the Difference?
	Controlling the Image in Front of the Lens
		Diffusion and Effects Filters
		Camera Lens Filters for Color Correction
		Warming and Cooling Filters
		Contrast Control in Black-And-White
		Polarizers
		IR Filters
12 Lighting Sources
	The Tools of Lighting
	Color Balance
		Color Rendering Index
	Daylight/Tungsten Sources
	LED Lights
		Remote Phosphor LEDs
	HMI Units
	Xenons
	Tungsten Lights
		Fresnels
	Open Face
	PARs
	Soft Lights
		Barger Baglights
	Color-Correct Fluorescents
	Other Types of Units
		SoftSun
		Cycs, Strips, Nooks, and Broads
		Chinese Lanterns and Spacelights
		Self-Contained Crane Rigs
		Ellipsoidal Reflector Spots
		Balloon Lights
		Handheld Units
	Equipment for Day Exteriors
	Improvising Lights
		Box Lights
		Christmas Tree Lights
		Projector Bulbs
	For More Information On Lighting
13 Lighting
	The Fundamentals of Lighting
	The [conceptual] Tools of Lighting
		The Attributes of Light
		Hard vs. Soft
	What are the Goals of Good Lighting?
		Full Range of Tones
		Color Control and Color Balance
		Shape
		Separation
		Depth
		Texture
		Mood and Tone
		Shadows
		Reveal and Conceal
	Exposure and Lighting
	Some Lighting Terminology
	Working with Hard Light and Soft Light
		Hard Light
		Soft Light
		Direction
		Avoiding Flat Front Lighting
		Light from the Upstage Side
		Backlight and Kicker
		Intensity
		Texture in Lighting
		Color
	Lighting Techniques
		Ambient
		Classical Lighting
		Bringing it through the windows
		Practicals and Motivated Lighting
	Basic Principles of Lighting
		Light From the Upstage Side—Reverse Key
		Back Cross Keys
		Ambient Plus Accents
		Lighting with Practicals
		Lighting through the Window
		Available Natural Light
		Available Light Windows
		Motivated Light
		Carrying a Lamp
	Day Exteriors
		Fill
		Silks and Diffusion
		Open Shade and Garage Door Light
		Sun As Backlight
	Magic Hour
	The Same Scene Lit Seven Different Ways
14 Controlling Light
	Hard Light and Soft Light
	Scrims and Barndoors
	Flags, Solids, and Nets
	Chimeras and Snoots
		Softboxes
		Eggcrates
	The Window Problem
	Cookies, Celos, and Gobos
	Dimmers
		LED Dimmers
		Hand Squeezers
15 Gripology
	Definitions
		Reflectors
		Flags and Cutters
		Nets
		Cuculoris (Cookies)
		Grids and Eggcrates
		Open Frames
		Diffusers
		Butterflies and Overheads
	Holding
		Grip Heads and C-Stands
		Highboys
		Clamps
		Wall Plates, Baby Plates, and Pigeons
		2K Receivers and Turtles
		Side Arms and Offset Arms
	Other Grip Gear
		Sandbags
		Apple boxes
		Wedges
		Candle Sticks
		Studded Chain Vise Grips
16 Camera Movement
	Camera Movement in Filmmaking
		Camera Operating
		Motivated vs. Unmotivated Movement
	Basic Technique
	Types Of Moves
		Pan
		Tilt
		Move In / Move Out
		Zoom
		Punch-in
	Moving Shots
		Tracking
		Countermove
		Reveal with Movement
		Circle Track Moves
		Crane Moves
		Rolling Shot
	Camera Supports for Movement
		Drones
		Handheld
		Stabilizer Rigs
		Camera Heads
		The Tripod
		High-Hat
		Rocker Plate
		Tilt Plate
		The Crab Dolly
		Dolly Terminology
		Car Shots
		Aerial Shots
	Other Types of Camera Mounts
		Steadicam
		Cable-Cam
		Splash Boxes
		Underwater Housings
	Motion Control
17 Optics & Focus
	The Physical Basis Of Optics
		Refraction
		Focal Length and Angle of View
		F/Stop
	Focus
		Mental Focus
		Circle of Confusion
	Depth-of-field
		How Not to Get More Depth-of-Field
		Hyperfocal Distance
		Nodal Points
		The Rear Nodal Point and Special Effects Shots
		Zooms and Depth-of-Field
	Macrophotography
	Exposure Compensation in Macrophotography
		Depth-of-Field in Close-Up Work
		Calculating Depth-of-Field in Close-Up Work
		Close-Up Tools
		Diopters
		Extension Tubes or Bellows
		Macro Lenses
		Snorkels and Innovision
		Specialized Lenses
	Lens Extenders and Filter Factors
	Lens Care
	Back Focus
18 Set Operations
	Making It Happen
		The Director of Photography
	The Cinematographer’s Tools
		Gaffer Glass
		Laser Pointer
		Director’s Viewfinder
		Digital Still Camera
	The Shot List
		Putting the Order Together
		Reading the Script
		Talking to the Director
		Location Scouts and Tech Scouts
	Coordinating with Other Departments
	The Team and The Order
		The Page Turn
		Tests
		Camera Crew
		Operator
		First AC Duties
		Second AC
		Loader
	DIT
	Camera Crew Reports, Equipment & Tools
		Camera Reports
		Camera Assistant Tools and Supplies
	AC Prep
	Camera Prep Checklist
	The Team
	Lighting Technicians (Electricians or Sparks)
		Grips
		Other Units
	Set Procedures
		Block, Light, Rehearse, Shoot
		The Process
		Room Tone
	Set Etiquette
	Set Safety
		Lighting, Electrical, and Grip
		Crane Safety
	Slating Technique
		Verbal Slating
		Tail Slate
		MOS Slating
		Slating Multiple Cameras
		Timecode Slates
		Jamming the Slate
		What to Write on the Slate
		When to Change the Letter
		The European System of Slating
		Pickups, Series, and Reshoots
		VFX
		Insert Slates
	Finding the Sun
19 DIT & Workflow
	Data Management
	Basic Principles
		Cover your Rear
		Standard Procedures
		Maintain Your Logs
	Procedure—Best Practices
		Locked and Loaded
		Get Your Signals Straight
		Always Scrub
		Three Drives
		Do Not Drag and Drop
	Logs
	File Management
	File Naming
	Download/Ingest Software
		ShotPut Pro
		Silverstack
	Proprietary Data Management Software
	External Recorders
	Ten Numbers: ASC-CDL
		Goodbye, Knobs
		Primary Correction Only
		SOP and S
	ACES: What It Is, What It Does
		AMPAS and ACES
		The Stages
		ACES Terminology
20 Power & Distro
	Measurement of Electricity
		Potential
		Paper Amps
	Electrical Supply Systems
		Single-phase
		Three-phase
	Power Sources
		Stage Service
		Generators
	Large Generator Operation
	Guidelines for Running Small Generators
		Paralleling Small Generators
	Tie-ins
		Tie-in Safety
	Determining KVA
	Wall Plugging
	Load Calculations and Paper Amps
		Ampacity
		Color Coding
	The Neutral
	Distribution Equipment
		Tie-in Clamps
		Busbar Lugs
		Connectors
		Bull Switches
		Feeder Cable
	Distribution Boxes
		Lunch Boxes, Snake Bites, and Gangboxes
		Extensions (Stingers)
		Zip Extensions
	Planning a Distribution System
		Balancing the Load
	Calculating Voltage Drop
	Electrical Safety
		Wet Work
		HMI Safety
		Grounding Safety
		GFCI
21 Technical Issues
	Shooting Greenscreen/Bluescreen
		Lighting for Greenscreen/Bluescreen
	Dimmers
		Dimming LEDs
		Dimmer Boards
		Working with Strobes
	High-Speed Photography
	Lighting For Extreme Close-Up
	Effects
		Smoke
		Fire
		TV and Projector Effects
		Day-for-Night
		Moonlight Effect
		Water EFX
		Rain
	Lightning
	Gunshots and Explosions
	Time-Lapse Photography
		Time Slicing
		Transferring Film To Video
	Flicker
	Shooting Virtual Reality
	Dealing With Audio
		Double System vs. Single System Sound
		Lock It Up!
	Microphones
		Mic on the Camera? No!
		Directional Mics
		Shotgun Mics
		Mic Mounts
		Wireless Lavs
	Phantom Power
		Mic vs. Line Input
	Audio Basics
		Rule #1
		Rule #2
	Scratch Track
		Wild Track
		Foley
		Room Tone
	ADR Is Expensive
	Shooting To Playback
	Timecode Slate
Backmatter
	Dedication
	About the Author
	Acknowledgments
	About the Website
Bibliography
Index