The Basics of Cinematography

Year Published: 1977

Creator: / Eastman Kodak

Complete Record: Opening sequence, zooming into and along freeway in Los Angeles. Long shot of the Hollywood sign. Zooming closer to the Hollywood sign. Clips of The Burbank Studios, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, aerial view of a studio complex. Richard Klein, A.S.C., Director of Photography, behind camera with assistant. Black background so definition of speaker is excellent. Purpose of film is to acquaint viewer with: (1) pictorial continuity (2) sequence development (3) the basics of cinematography 35mm camera swings toward viewer. Clip of elephant at zoo. Man and woman walking past animal cages at zoo. Man with camera aimed towards man and woman at animal cages. Example of camera not held steady. Establishing shot to set time and place. Medium shot of man and woman feeding animals. CU of woman’s face. CU establishes and mood and personality. Extreme CU of bag of peanuts. MS monkey takes peanuts from hand. POV angle: From monkey’s POV. Couple set up a picnic at a table in the zoo. Basket is used as a transition from one scene to another. CU of man eating chicken leg. CU of woman eating sandwich. Aluminum container with fried chicken. Woman produces wine bottle and two glasses. Man pours wine for the two. Couple on bicycles. Demonstration of imaginary axis line for viewer continuity. Bicyclers shown with cameraman at various angles. Axis line for interior scene demonstrated. Two mean sit at table with a multitude of tools. Woman enters with broken toaster. High views show orientation of men at table, camera and woman entering. Example of dollying across axis line shown. Use of head on shot to move across axis line demonstrated. Follow focus demonstrated as woman enters room with toaster. Close-up of man at tool table shuffling deck of cards. This is used as a transition to four people sitting around a table playing cards. Cameraman in scene. Master shot demonstrated. Camera relocated so that specific actions can be shown. In this case, one of the men leaves the table and goes to pour himself an alcoholic drink. Several shots at various close and medium shots. Good scene for clarity of pouring drinks. CU of man drinking. Close-up of each card players faces. Looking at each other in a medium shot, the close up of showing cards. Factory scene where bottles of wine moving on conveyor belt. Camera to side. Zooming demonstrated: Zoom into wine bottles to make a point; zoom out to end scene. Plane landing, several shots. News story. Media gathers. Various shots of what is happening in terms of news and ideas for shots. Plane landing, persons behind fence, etc. Passengers debarking. Passengers entering the terminal, several shots. As airplane starts to enter gate signaling by man with noise reduction head set and orange wands. The news conference. Demonstration of where camera is placed relative to what is being communicated about speaker. Actor portrays congressman running for office. Speaker is at podium with mikes. He waves to audience. Cutaways to newspaper men making notes -- MS and CU. Speaker and wife waving from behind podium. Wrap-up reporter -- woman with mike signing off. Young man carrying camera and tripod down rows of cars in parking lot. CU flat tire. Man goes through the various steps of changing the flat tire. Slo-mo photography demonstrated by pole vaulter, aerial photography, and auto crash. Nature photography with red blooms opening. Charlie Chaplin reconstruction then cut to actual Chaplin footage. Back to Klein at end. Footage of him taking his position behind the camera and his assistant behind him. Views of cameraman behind 16mm camera adjusting focus.