2 Tips for Every Cinematographer
- CineStyle
- Oct 31, 2018
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 5, 2018
IN RECENT YEARS, CAMERAS HAVE BEEN PART OF OUR DAILY LIFE AND HAVE HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON HOW WE VIEW THE WORLD. CINEMATOGRAPHERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO SET THEMSELVES APART IN THE FILMING INDUSTRY. THIS CAN BE HARD AT FIRST BUT, THERE ARE TOOLS TOP CINEMATOGRAPHERS USE THAT PUSH THEIR CREATIVITY TO THE NEXT LEVEL. HAVING BEEN ON MANY MANY FILM SETS, I HAVE FOUND 2 USEFUL TOOLS THAT HAVE CHANGED THE WAY I CAPTURE VIDEO.
1. Using glass
What do I mean by using glass? Jared Fadel is a widely known cinematographer who is often known for his use of using broken glass or a magnifying glass in front of the lens as he shoots. This creates a soft blur that forces the audience’s eyes to focus on a particular subject. I went to my local dollar store and found a cheap magnifying glass and broke it out of its frame. I went to test it out and found amazing results! I recommend this to every and all cinematographers as a creative way to control the focal point of a video.
2. Shining light into a lens.
Lens flares can be a creative way to portray beauty or light. Most of us know that lens flares are created by simply shooting towards a light, but there are many another ways to have a lens flare without having an actual light within your scene. Simply take a flashlight and point it into your lens. Move it out of frame until the flashlight is no longer present, but the lens flare is. A cell phone light also works well. This technique is common in flashy music videos but it can be a cinematic character that can be pleasing to audiences if not used too often. This is especially powerful when using an anamorphic lens.
There are many ways in which a cinematic feeling can be achieved. I have found these two tools as a way to broaden the way I capture light. Go try it out and leave a comment below on your results.
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