Practical Cinematography

Preface = ix About the author = xi Acknowledgements = xiii Introduction = xv PART ONE. The Unit = 1 1. The camera crew = 3 An overview = 3 The trainee = 3 The clapper loader = 4 The focus puller = 8 The operator = 9 The Director of Photography = 9 The grip = 10 The gaffer = 11 Crew protocol = 11 PART TWO. The Technology = 13 2. The motion picture camera = 15 The persistence of vision = 15 Frame rates = 16 The intermittent mechanism = 17 The reflex viewfinder = 20 Viewing screens = 21 The film magazine = 21 Film camera layout = 213 3. Lenses = 25 Artistic decisions = 25 Modern lens designs = 30 Lens distortion and aberrations = 31 4. Film stock = 35 What is film? = 35 The history of the negative/positive photographic process = 35 The modern photographic process = 37 Colour negative film = 38 Grain and graininess = 40 When does grain become unacceptable? = 41 Perforations = 41 Edge numbers = 43 Care, shipping and handling = 44 5. Basic sensitometry = 47 6. The laboratory = 52 The laboratory contact = 52 Printer lights = 53 Contact printing = 54 Optical printers = 55 Negative cutting = 57 Cinema release prints = 58 The ‘long handled' negative cut = 58 Film grading = 60 Telecine grading = 61 PART THREE. The Cinematographer's Craft = 63 7. Exposure meters = 65 Camera speed = 65 Shutter speed = 65 Average scene reflectance values = 66 Types of exposure meter = 66 8. Lighting ratios = 70 Defining a lighting ratio = 70 Visualizing lighting ratios = 70 Lighting ratios for film and television = 70 Lighting ratios when shooting for both cinema and television = 72 Using lighting ratios on the set = 73 Controlling the whole scene = 74 9. Three-point image control = 75 There's no such thing as exposure latitude = 75 Three-point image control = 76 Relating the three points to the sensitometric curve = 77 Control for television = 78 10. Using the 18 per cent grey card = 79 The messenger = 79 Controlling print density = 79 Shifting colour = 81 Intentional colour changes = 81 Developments in grey cards = 82 Conclusions = 83 11. Colour temperature = 84 What is colour temperature? = 84 Filters and Mired shift values = 85 The colour temperature meter = 87 Colour film = 88 Correcting lamps = 89 12. Camera filters = 91 Colour-compensating = 91 Colour-correction = 91 Skin tone warmer = 92 Sepia, coral, etc. = 92 Graduated = 92 Neutral density = 93 Low contrast = 93 Ultra contrast = 93 Fog = 93 Double fog = 93 Pro-mist = 94 Star = 94 Nets = 94 Matching shots = 94 Enhancing = 95 Fluorescent light correction = 95 Polar screens = 95 Filter factors = 95 The pan glass = 96 13. Depth of field = 97 Depth of field = 97 Depth of focus = 97 Circles of confusion = 97 Depth of field and Super 16 to 35 mm blow-ups = 99 Super 16 mm and 16x9 television = 100 35 mm film depth of field when only shown on television = 100 Depth of field calculators = 101 The effect of aperture on depth of field = 101 The effect of focal length on depth of field = 102 The mathematics of depth of field = 103 14. Testing = 105 Why so much checking? = 105 Who checks? = 105 Tests that involve shooting film = 106 Lens testing = 109 Gamma testing = 112 What to do with the film tests = 112 Non-film testing = 112 Stores = 113 The camera car = 115 PART FOUR. Operating = 117 15. Composition and the rule of thirds = 119 Framing using the rule of thirds = 119 Framing using the sixths = 122 Diagonal framing = 123 Complex and combined composition = 124 16. Lenses and perspective = 126 Frame size and focal length = 126 Perspective = 127 17. Aspect ratios = 132 The 35 mm frame = 132 The aspect ratio = 133 Widescreen = 133 Three-perforation pull-down = 133 Anamorphic = 134 65 mm and 70 mm = 135 Super 35 = 137 Television = 137 PART FIVE. The DoP's Preparation = 141 18. Research = 143 19. Preparing for a shoot = 145 The recces = 145 The DoP's preparation = 146 The camera equipment list = 147 The lighting equipment list = 150 The film stock breakdown = 150 The technical schedule = 156 PART SIX. Future-Proofing = 161 20. Future-proofing film for television using Super 16 mm = 163 The nature of the problem = 163 History — the evolution of the Super 16 mm format = 163 Widescreen television and Super 16 = 165 Framing in several formats = 166 Framing solutions = 169 Festival prints = 171 Index = 173

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