CHAPTER 3 CAMERAS

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES Explore the History of motion picture Cameras; Gain an understanding of the Technical equipment used for motion picture Recording; Transcend basic functions to be able to manipulate the features of Digital Video Equipment to create Highly Controlled Images; Survey Movements in the Traditional Arts that can be applied to Video Production.

HISTORY OF THE MOTION PICTURES Pre-Cinema Persistence of vision - 130 A.D Magic lantern -1600s Thaumatrope - 1825 Zoetrope -1834 Series photography – 1878 Eadweard Muybridge

FILM 35mm film 16mm 8mm Super-16 Super-8 70mm

VIDEO 1926 First public demonstration of a video system 1927 First video broadcast

VIDEO STORAGE: Videotape 2-inch reel-to-reel 1” U-Matic VHS

VIDEO STORAGE: Videotape Digital Betacam DVC-Pro Mini-DV DVCam Digital-S Digital-8

VIDEO STORAGE Drive and Optical Storage Memory cards Hard drives In-camera read-write media (DVD)

VIDEO SYSTEMS NTSC (National Television Systems Committee) - “Standard Television” 525 lines; 4:3 aspect ratio High-Definition Video – 1,080 lines; 16:9 aspect ratio PAL (Phase-Alternating Line) – 625 lines of horizontal resolution 24P – 24 frames per second using progressive scanning

THE CAMERA TEAM Director of photography (DP) Camera operator Focus puller Clapper/Loader Dolly grip Second unit

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS Imaging for Digital Video CCD – Charge-Coupled Device CMOS – Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS Lens Magnification: Compound Lenses (zoom lenses) Prime Lenses (fixed focal- length lenses) Wide-angle lens Telephoto lens

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS Lens Focus Focal point Auto focus Setting focus Proper exposure Creative exposure Internal light meter Manual aperture overrides

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS Lens f-stops

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS Lens Depth of field “Courtesy of RiverDream Productions”

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS Lens Maximum sharpness setting Macro setting Lens hood

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS The Camera Body Power switch Batteries and A/C power Start/Stop Button. "REC."

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS The Camera Body The Tally Light The Viewfinder Eyepiece View screen Microphone The Headphone Jack

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS The Camera Body The Playback Control Buttons The Media Storage The Handgrip Time Code Indicator

DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS The Camera Body Shutter Speed Gain Aspect Ratio 4:3 16:9 Image Stabilization Backlight Feature White Balance

TRIPODS

ADVANCED CAMERA SUPPORT SYSTEMS Steadycam Jib arm Camera cranes Vehicle mounts Marine housings

APPROACHES IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY Determine the “look” of a project Four Distinct Approaches Realism Expressionism and Film Noir Impressionism Surrealism

APPROACHES IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY Realism Sharp focus Realistic lighting

APPROACHES IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY Expressionism and Film Noir Dark in visual tone Stylized lighting cast from severe angles Bizarre and fantastic stories “Film Noir”

APPROACHES IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY Impressionism “Golden Age of Hollywood” Diffused images Impression of some emotional state Twinkling eyes and fog-filtered A romantic memory

APPROACHES IN CINEMATOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY Surrealism “Beyond reality” or “above reality” Concrete irrationality Psychoanalytic psychology; Dream analysis

EXERCISES Design and shoot a Two-Minute Master Scene. Use the technical information in this chapter to realize the Principles of the Visual Language you learned in Chapter 2. Shoot some camera tests. Can you create a Shallow Depth of Field? How can you take that same composition and convert it into one with a Deep Depth of Field? Practice Hand-Held camera work. Describe how you could improvise a Dolly Shot with available resources. Of the artistic approaches introduced in this chapter, which is your favorite artistic approach: Realism, Expressionism, Impressionism, or Surrealism? Write a scene in this style and outline how you portray this approach Visually. Copyright 2008 Taylor and Francis