1. The building blocks of the cinematic language.
Cinematography
The building blocks of the cinematic language.

2. Why Use a video camera To tell a story
To explain (local) situations visually
To clarify complex situations
To keep the attention of your audience
To transfer a message
To increase intercultural understanding

3. Image Sensor
At the heart of a modern video camera is the sensor. This serves the same purpose that film does in an optical camera: it reacts to the image being projected upon it by the camera’s optics. Whereas the amount of detail that film can record is determined by the size of the crystals of silver salt which coat the surface of the film, the amount of detail recorded by a sensor is determined by the number of pixel sensors on its surface. Thus, while the quality of a film image is determined in part by the type of film used, the quality of a video image is fixed and inherent in the camera.
Standard 1 objective 1

4. CMOS and CCD Sensor
Until recently, all video cameras used CCD (Charge-coupled device) sensors. The advent of CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology changed this, however, and now the overwhelming majority of cameras have CMOS sensors, for the simple reason that they are easier to produce and hence cheaper to manufacture. They are also capable of higher shutter speeds than CCD cameras.

5. Camera Moves
Dolly (in / out)- Physically moving the camera, it’s tri-pod, and dolly towards or away from the set.
You can dolly in or dolly out
Truck (left / right)- Physically moving the camera, it’s tri-pod, and dolly left or right parallel to the set.
You can Truck right or Truck left
Pedestal (up / down)- Raising or lowering the camera on the tripods pedestal column while the tripod remains stationary.
You can Pedestal up or down.

6. Tilt- vertical pivot/rotation, up and down
Arc (left / right)- Moving the camera in a curved motion around the set while the camera stays fixed on an object or character.
You can arc right or arc left
Tracking– is when the camera is on a track or with a dolly, or on a cable and follows the action of a shot.
Tilt- vertical pivot/rotation, up and down
Pan- rotates horizontally, side to side (rotates on a vertical axis)

7. Camera Lens Body Viewfinder Power on/off Record Playback controls
Automatic/manual
Zoom in/zoom out
Menu

8. Camera Angle
The camera angle determines both the audiences viewpoint, or how they see the story, and the physical amount of area covered in a shot.

9. The camera angle is one of the most important factors in keeping the audiences interest.
Don’t “Jar” the camera - use a tri-pod or dolly.
Be sure to frame the shot appropriately
Maintain scene direction.
Be mindful of the rule of thirds.
Pay attention to the view finder.
Pay attention to the background.

10. High Angle
Psycho (Hitchcock)

11. High angle - Birds eye view – from above the character used to make the character feel Inferior. Used to show the small scale of a character or object.

12. Straight angle; Straight on
Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940)

13. Low angle
Low angle - Cats eye view – looking up at a character. Gives the audience a feeling that this person is powerful. Used to show the large scale of a character or object.

14. Canted framing (a.k.a. Dutch angle)
Canted framing or Dutch angle
Camera not level / not horizontal
Often suggests tension, trouble, distress, etc.
Man with a Movie Camera (Vertov) – one of the first films to use Canted angles

15. Framing can become a director’s signature
There are other examples of framing, which include using the natural framing occurring in objects.
Tarantino’s low angle trunk shot.

18. Lead room
-Lead room (also called nose, head or looking room): If people speak, look or move into a certain direction, leave some room open in this part of the frame. This will look more natural.
Also think about nose room, headroom, and lead room.
Too little lead room Too much lead room

19. Crossing the Line
Crossing the line is a very important concept in video and film production. It refers to an imaginary line which cuts through the middle of the scent, from side to side with respect to the camera. Crossing the line changes the viewer’s perspective in such a way that it causes disorientation and confusion.

20. Crossing the line

21. Aspect Ratio Selection
The aspect ratio of an image is its width divided by its height. Aspect ratios are mathematically expressed as a ratio of “x-to-y” or
“x-by-y”. The most common aspect ratios used today in the exhibition in movie theaters are 1.85:1 and 2.39:1

25. Two Shot – a.k.a. the American shot, any shot that bring two sides to a confrontation.
Boy and girl meets.
Hero vs. the villain.
It could even be one group of people against another.
May also simply be two people in one shot.

26. Three shot – involving three characters in one shot.
Group Shot – includes more than three characters

27. SHOTS
Extreme long shot (ELS or XLS)– shows a vast area from a great distance. Also know as a wide shot.

28. Long shot (LS)– a take of the entire action of a scene
Long shot (LS)– a take of the entire action of a scene. A shot that sets ups the scene and gives a general feel for the event.
Entrance and exits of characters, cars, planes.

29. Medium Shot (MS)– falls between the long shot and a close up
Medium Shot (MS)– falls between the long shot and a close up. Normally from the Waist to just over the head. Also know as a mid shot.
Involves the audience a little more closely to the action at hand. May involve more than one character

30. Close up (CU)– just below the shoulders to above the head
Close up (CU)– just below the shoulders to above the head. Also know as a tight shot or a narrow shot.

31. Extreme Close Up
-a very close view of a particular body part or part of an object.

32. Over-the-Shoulder Shot (O/S)

33. Cross Shot (XS)