Basic Cinematography: A Creative Guide to Visual Storytelling

by Kurt Lancaster

The cinematographer must translate the ideas and emotions contained in a script into something that can be physically seen and felt onscreen, helping the director to fulfil the vision of the film. The shots may look good, but they will not serve the story until the composition, lenses, and lighting express, enhance, and reveal the underlying emotions and subtext of the story. By making physical the ideas and emotions of the story, the cinematographer supports blocking as a visual form of the story through these tools.



Rather than delve into technical training, Basic Cinematography helps to train the eye and heart of cinematographers as visual storytellers, providing them with a strong foundation for their work, so that they're ready with creative ideas and choices on set in order to make compelling images that support the story.



The book includes tools, tables, and worksheets on how to enhance students and experienced filmmakers with strong visual storytelling possibilities, including such features





Dramatic script analysis that will help unlock blocking, composition, and lighting ideas that reveal the visual story



Ten tools of composition



Psychological impact of lenses, shot sizes, and camera movement



Six elements of lighting for visual storytelling



What to look for beneath the hood of cameras, including using camera log, RAW, and LUTs



Dramatic analysis chart and scene composition chart to help plan your shoots



Case studies from such visually cinematic shows and documentaries as Netflix's Godless , Jessica Jones , The Crown , and Chef's Table , as well as examples from classroom exercises



Features insights from the DP of Jessica Jones , Manuel Billeter, and the DP of Chef's Table , Adam Bricker.

281 pages, Unknown Binding

Published March 7, 2019

Reviews

[Renjith R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creativity is an effort of recreating what the nature supplied and we enjoyed. Re-creating the things is not an easy task. It needs skill, talent and knowledge. Cinematography is part of that creative process of film making and it needs deep enthusiasm and knowledge. In this book, Kurt Lancaster focused on the psychological impact and aspects of cinematography in detail. The use of lenses, different angles, camera movements, lighting, colours, blocking, and even colour temperature plays a major role in film making. Using a camera need skills. But it also demands some more talents to shoot with it. Each cameraperson is different and unique with their talent, and they are unique because of the way they look and see their subjects.

[Julia Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such good content! So many principles to apply in cinematography. I love the examples given throughout, teaching specific points to excel both in the technical and non-technical aspect of cinematography.

[Vita Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

should i start rating my class textbooks

[Nika · Rating 4 out of 5]

It nicely explains the process of cinematography and the process of applying principles of storytelling on practical cases. Great place to start your path.