Intro_to_Film_Discussion_2_Week_2

Melinda Hamilton Discussion#2, Week #2 Tools of Cinematography Cinematography means “writing with movement.” (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). What the cinematographer creates is what the camera translates to film and the viewer. A cinematographer is responsible for aiding the director in physically creating his/her perception of how the movie should appear. They also provide the director with color manipulation, types of cameras and lenses, different shot suggestions to match up with the theme in the scene, and types of lighting suggestions that will best fit the director’s idea of what he wants to achieve in the scene. The cinematographer is responsible for making the film look as interesting as the story itself. I chose a scene from Step Brothers. In this scene, the step brothers are grown men that still live with their parents who have just been married. The cinematography helped to create a nighttime effect with low-key lighting. The characters are lying in the twin beds, their shared bedroom that resembles a child’s bedroom, each wearing their youthful pajamas, infers that these grown men act like children, along with being jealous of each other and fight like children. This is how the cinematographer contributes to the symbolism. The cinematographer uses used a telephoto lens to get a deep focus shot to make the viewer focus on all items in the scene to show that there are multiple items of importance in the scene. Reference Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.