Digital Cinematography CSE 681

The Five C’s of Cinematography By Joseph Mascelli Camera Angle Continuity Cutting Close-Ups Composition distilled for CS non-character action CSE 681

Breakdown Scene – place of action Shot – continuous camera recording Sequence – logical chunk of continuous action May involve single/multiple shots May involve single/multiple scenes CSE 681

Purpose of cinematography Have the viewer: Understand the context – the big picture Follow the immediate action Focus attention on something within view CSE 681

Camera shot Angle: up, down, side, oblique Distance: long range, establishing shot; middle; close-up Movement: still, pan, zoom, tracking: follow, head-on CSE 681

angle CSE 681

distance CSE 681

Composition of shot Framing the action Controlling the background Adjusting focal length Depth of field – focus attention Rule of thirds lines: horizontal, vertical, perspective Focus attention: contrast, color CSE 681

Rule of thirds CSE 681

Sequence of shots Camera movement Transition: fade, wipe, dissolve Shot progression: manipulate the viewer’s position Cut during still or constant action Temporal continuity: you can repeat, overlap Spatial continuity: keep view grounded in scene Line of action: rule of 180 CSE 681

Camera movement CSE 681

Rule of 180 CSE 681

Rule of 180 CSE 681