1. A cinematographer depends on two crews of workers. What is each crew responsible for?
A cinematographer works with two main crews:
- Camera crew – handles the camera itself, including operating it, focusing, and managing equipment like lenses and tripods.
- Lighting crew – sets up and controls the lights used in the scene.
2. How the lighting for any movie looks is determined, in part, by its source and direction.
Explain these terms and the effect each has on the overall lighting.
- Source of light means where the light comes from. It affects whether lighting feels natural or artificial.
- Direction of light means the angle the light hits the subject from. It affects mood and how shadows appear. For example, side lighting can make things look dramatic, while front lighting is more even and clear.
3. What are the four major lenses used on movie cameras?
The four main lenses are:
- Wide angle lens – shows more of the scene
- Normal lens – looks most like human vision
- Telephoto lens – zooms in on far objects
- Zoom lens – can change focal length to go from wide to close views
4. Based on proximity to the camera, what are the three most commonly used shots in a movie?
- Long shot – shows the full body and surroundings
- Medium shot – shows a character from about the waist up
- Close-up – shows a character’s face or detail closely
5. Describe the differences and relationship between framing and composition.
Framing is what the camera includes or excludes in the shot.
Composition is how everything inside that frame is arranged.
So framing is the box, and composition is how things are placed inside it.
6. The movie camera can shoot from various angles. What are they?
The main camera angles are:
- Eye-level – neutral, straight-on view
- High angle – camera looks down on the subject (can make them seem weaker)
- Low angle – camera looks up at the subject (can make them seem powerful)
- Oblique (Dutch angle) – tilted frame for unease or tension
7. What are the basic types of camera movement?
The main movements are:
- Pan – camera turns side to side
- Tilt – camera moves up and down
- Dolly – camera physically moves toward or away from subject
- Tracking shot – camera follows the subject
- Zoom – changes magnification without moving the camera
8. What is a long take? What can it achieve that a short take cannot? What is the difference
between a long take and a long shot?
A long take is a shot that lasts a long time without cuts. It can show continuous action and build realism or tension because nothing is edited out.
A long shot refers to how far the camera is from the subject (showing full body and surroundings).
So a long take is about time, while a long shot is about distance.
9. Special effects create images that might not be possible with traditional cinematography. What
are the basic ways to create special effects?
Special effects are made in different ways:
- Practical effects – done on set using real objects or physical tricks
- Optical effects – created during filming or in the camera (like double exposure)
- Digital effects (CGI) – created using computers after filming
10. One interesting thing from Chapter 6
One interesting idea is that camera movement can completely change how a scene feels, even if the actors and setting stay the same.
I found this interesting because it shows that the way a camera moves is just as important as what is being filmed.