A successful cinematographer, like any other creative artist, must always seek out new ways to hone their skills.
It’s easy to say “practice, practice, practice,” but it’s more difficult to come up with unique and practical ways to enhance your knowledge base on a daily basis.
Making movies is more than a skill. Years of experience are required to develop a consistent skill and a strong eye for filmmaking.
It’s the difference between outstanding cinematography and cliched filmmaking. What is cinematography, exactly? You’ve certainly heard the term a million times, but what exactly is it?
What is Cinematography?
Cinematography is the art and practice of visually capturing a narrative in motion pictures.
Cinematography, technically, is the art and science of recording light, either electronically on an image sensor or chemically on film.
Cinematography is the art of creating images that appear on a screen, and its name comes from the Greek word “writing with movement.”
A collection of pictures that work together to tell a story. Each shot is composed by cinematography, who considers where everything in the frame demands attention.
Let’s dive deep and get to know what exactly is the best practice to improve your Cinematography skills.
1.Take up Photography
It’s simple and true: cinematography and photography share many of the same fundamentals.
In photography, though, the stakes are higher because a single picture must optimise all of its features to communicate a sensation and tell a story.
Framing concepts like the rule of thirds, focus, and foreground, middle ground, and backdrop are just as significant as camera settings like exposure, colour temperature, and depth of field.
2. Framing is Crucial
Viewers will be gazing at the shots you framed throughout your film, framing is essential.
That being said, you don’t want to frame shots randomly. Your photos must be carefully and purposefully framed.
Don’t use too much headroom and don’t misuse negative space, among other things, while framing.
But keep in mind that if done purposefully, anything may go in filmmaking.
3. Storyboarding should be practised
Storyboarding is often a big component of a cinematographer’s job, even if it isn’t the most attractive aspect of the job.
A competent cinematographer must often painstakingly storyboard every shot in a film, often by hand.
Check out some of the various online and app possibilities for storyboarding if you’re a forward-thinking person.
However, make sure you’re ready to dive deep into it, because storyboarding is where a genuine cinematographer shines.
4. Experiment with various cameras and lenses
A professional director of photography must have a thorough understanding of cinematography as well as a keen awareness of camera technology.
Finding new ways to shoot with different cameras whether by renting, borrowing, or purchasing is a terrific way to broaden your photography horizons.
When you’re trying out different cameras, attempt to figure out what each one’s strengths and drawbacks are for your particular cinematography style.
5. Try Different Aspect Ratios
Shooting in multiple aspect ratios is another technique to move a cinematographer out of his or her comfort zone (which is necessary for progress).
A skilled cinematographer should have a thorough understanding of how to film in a variety of formats, from 1:1 box to 2.35:1 cinemascope.
A director of photography will have a big impact in deciding what aspect ratio is best for production, and will base their decisions and recommendations on the content.
Final Words!
You should become comfortable with all of these practices. Practice is the most effective technique to become comfortable with them.
Get a camera and some lenses and start shooting. After that, you’ll need to edit your footage.
We hope these 5 best practices to improve your Cinematography skills will help become a better cinematographer.
For more such Photography insights, do follow us on Instagram!
You can also view our other blogs for such photography ideas here.
