Perspective & Framing

I believe film is all about perspective, whether it's the character's, the audience's, the director's, or all three.  It is, simply, what one chooses to include within the frame, as well as what one chooses to exclude.  Everything seen within the frame is important, each object and shadow contributing a detail that should lend itself to the whole of the story.

This scene by P. T. Anderson, found in Punch Drunk Love, tells so much about the character in the simple evolution of the scene's framing.

To me, it is about allowing the natural lines of the location or set design to guide the camera, drawing the eye into an organic frame.  Barry Lyndon

The background and foreground elements in these three photos play with perspective.

It is about placing the character into the frame, seeing what he sees, and allowing the viewer to become immersed in that experience in a way that would normally not be.

Even a close up can contribute to the visual depth of the location.

Abnormal perspectives, like this one from In the Mood for Love, draw attention to the story by hiding key elements of action.  In the Mood for Love

Foremost, framing is about the emotional value of its contents.  In this scene from Amelie, the bear is Amelie's imagination, and her imagination is her world.  Therefore, the bear looms in the foreground.  Amelie

Cinematography is personal.  It is a creative choice, and it's about what catches your eye.

Foreground elements can often tell a story for themselves.  Central Station

Finally, cinematography should be a stylistic choice, setting the mood for the entire film.  If it is consistent, it can create a powerful sense of place, evoking the soul of the story and allowing the characters to interact with their surroundings within the frame, and truly come alive.

Symmetry and texture, depth and shape, depth of field and focal length--every detail tells the story.

Color & Light

One of my favorite elements of cinematography is color, which contributes an aspect of subjective versatility to the image.  Lighting and color allow one to further enhance the mood onscreen, with hue, intensity, and shape that contours the image.

This still, taken from Trois Couleurs: Bleu, illustrates that color can be a strong motif throughout a film. Bleu

It is also not only present in the saturation of the image itself, but incorporated through props, contributing to a sense of emotion that the color blue represents in the story.  Bleu

As seen here in Amelie, color can simply be a visual choice, saturated in various ways in different frames throughout the film. Amelie

It can also alter the mood - these vibrant colors of orange and green add a sinister feel to this scene, shown in an abnormal aspect.  Amelie

The elements of light and color can also be used to create shapes and textures.

Here, a distinct line of color, even out of focus, separates the subject within the frame.  Chungking Express

Light often sets the mood of the scene, and can create drama through color while still being softly lit.

Yet, it can also add to the contrast of the scene, shaped specifically to evoke an emotion. Ashes of Time

At its best, lighting draws the audience into the subject of each frame.  In the Mood for Love

Natural lighting can be just as dramatic, contouring and bringing depth to the picture.

It can also be a character of the image itself.

Natural lighting, used here in Happy Together, also can be manipulated to be dreamlike and unrealistic.  Happy Together

All images for educational purposes only.

Silhouettes & Lines

The simplicity often found in the black and white photography of older films, as well as silhouettes, reveal how effective stark contrast, focused lighting, and simple lines tell a story with a dramatic effect.










This shot from Fellini's La Dolce Vita forces the eye to the protagonist in the foreground. La Dolce Vita.

In Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders utilizes contrasting shades of black and white to create emotion in this still. Wings of Desire 1

Another shot from Wings of Desire, this screenshot recreates the human woman as a celestial being, lighting her brightly against a darker background.  Wings of Desire 2

A shot from Fellini's 8 1/2 reveals the main character's delusion, placing him in silhouette against the chaos of the set behind him.  8 1/2

This photo adds color to the scene, yet uses lines to draw one's eye to the warmth of the sunset on the right.  

The focus on the foreground creates a sense of surrealism.

Another photo that isolates a silhouette simply, against a colorful background.

The elements in this photo evoke emotion from the subject, even though her face is turned away from the camera.

This photo contains many complex elements, yet one's eye is drawn to the subject, specifically removed from the vibrant background.  City Silhouette

All images for educational purposes only.