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What is cinematography?
Cinematography is the art and the science of recording light either electronically onto an image sensor or chemically onto film stock for a motion-picture.

“The art and the science of recording light.” We should always keep that in mind.

Best Cinematography Techniques and TIps - Masterful lighting and cinematic techniques in the film The Third Man
Masterful lighting and cinematic techniques gave The Third Man some of the best cinematography ever

That’s the job of the cinematographer in a nutshell. As we move forward through these 30 best cinematography techniques and tips, let’s keep in mind what the real aim of the job always is.

1. The best cinematographers think outside the box
When Stanley Kubrick set out to film Barry Lyndon, he and his longtime cinematographer John Alcott wanted to break new ground and needed to develop some new cinematography techniques.

They wanted to shoot it all with natural light. A pretty daring and ambitious cinematography idea.

For an indoor candle-lit scene, they wanted to ACTUALLY film by candlelight. This would have pushed the film stock of the era too far.

So Kubrick and Alcott borrowed a special lens made by NASA to complete their scene.

Best Cinematography Techniques and TIps - Candlelights Used As Lighting By Stanley Kubrick And John Alcott
Unique cinematography techniques were used to create this stunning film image

The result of this solution is nothing short of painterly.

Finding the next great camera technique may just be a matter of devising a creative solution to achieve your visual goals.

2. Keep the frame moving
How you use your frame is one of the most critical cinematography techniques. Whether it be moving that frame, or moving items within that frame. You want to keep things active and visually engaging.

A director has a lot on a film set to manage. Try identifying a way to get the camera moving during a rehearsal or blocking of a scene.

If production can afford it, talk with the director about where you could use a dolly, or a jib, or even a steadicam.

Strategize on where you can insert some cost effective camera movements that will help bring the project to life.

3. Get creative with lens sizes
You don’t ALWAYS need a 21mm wide shot or an 85mm close up. Slapping a wide lens on for a close up, or a long lens for an establishing shot are creative cinematography techniques.

Of course you only want to do that if it works for the story you’re telling. But experimenting never hurt.

Sometimes the thing you ‘tried for fun’ gave you and the director a great inspiration and sent you in a great new direction.

Don’t ever be afraid to give something a look. Time permitting, of course.

4. Use the right gear for the job
Not every shoot will need a fully decked out Alexa package with cinema zooms. Sometimes a shoulder mounted ENG camera is exactly what a project needs.

Get familiar with ALL types of cameras and lenses. Not just the big ticket cinema stuff. Being precise about what you need is one of the most important cinematography techniques you'll develop.

Because if and when the director asks for something out of the ordinary you’ll need to be ready with not only suggestions, but also the requisite knowledge to implement them.

Knowing how to achieve the same end goals will make you favorite of producers as well.

Which likely means more jobs.

5. Know the script
Seems like another ‘no brainer’. At the same time, you might not have expected to see the script listed among cinematography techniques.

Yet far too often camera crews and even DoP’s don’t know the script backwards and forwards.

Being a cinematographer is as creative as it is technical.

Make sure the ideas you bring to the table are grounded in a knowledge of the material. You’re also a storytelling collaborator.

Not just a gearhead.

Best Cinematography Techniques and TIps - Light and shadow in Citizen Kane
DoP Gregg Toland innovated and truly “changed the game” with light and shadow on Citizen Kane

A great early example of a DoP and Director innovating together and serving the story is Citizen Kane.

DoP Gregg Toland kept his depth of field, and used light and shadow to direct the eye, creating a more dramatic look.

Without a focus on how to serve the story, such innovation would have been rendered meaningless.

So?

Make notes in your script. Bring up visual suggestions, questions, and ideas.

Have conversations about styles to emulate, other film’s this story reminds you of.

The better you know the project the better you’ll be able to help serve it.

6. Manage your time wisely
The camera and lighting crew is often the biggest crew on a film set.

You are going to be interacting with all of those department heads, and you are directly (or indirectly) in charge of all of them and their work.

THis means always having a plan and executing it.

This means having and respecting storyboards and a shot list. Using those tools are cinematography techniques unto themselves.

Why?

You will ALWAYS be under the gun for time. Just like money, there is never enough.

The 1st AD will be asking how low until picture is up constantly.

Because the Producers will be asking HIM how long until picture is up constantly.

So before you even STEP on set know the coverage. Know the set-ups. KNow the lighting plans. Know it all backwards and forwards and how you’ll move efficiently between them.

In film school you probably learned how to light. Maybe even how to light really well.

But did you learn how to light fast? Or how to adjust when daylight is almost gone? When you might not make the day? And the entire production is waiting on your team getting a little fill on the lead actress?

Be ready.

But how?

Use shot list software, and go over all the scheduling you can with the AD team. That means working with scheduling software and getting to know it’s ins and outs.

The crew will often look to you to move forward. Be prepared.

Don’t let them down.

7. Mix color temperatures
We’ve mentioned some classic black and white inspirations and cinematic techniques, but what about the standard today (for the last 60 years) which is color?

Try using colors to create the same kind of dramatic contrasts and juxtapositions.
Best Cinematography Techniques and TIps - Mixing discordant colors can be a dramatic and effective cinematic technique
Mixing discordant colors can be a dramatic and effective cinematic technique

Suddenly the image catches the eye in a different manner than before. Similar to the way the older cinematic technique using bright outlines and shadow did for black and white cinematography.

Best Cinematography Techniques and TIps - Wes Anderson and his love for color
Wes Anderson loves color. One of his preferred filmmaking techniques is to play with the center space of the frame.

Colors pop more when they are laid alongside contrasting colors, and photographed properly.

Some of this comes down to production design, but it’s also where filmmaking techniques from different departments being to co-mingle.

To learn more, get in touch with our faculty.
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IS FILM SCHOOL NECESSARY TO YOUR CAREER?

When you look at the cost of film school and the numbers of successful filmmakers who never had formal training, it begs the question: is film school necessary to your career? If people like Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, James Cameron and David Fincher found success without going to film school, couldn’t you do the same? And when you consider the fact that many film school graduates never get their break at all—is film school even an investment worth making if it doesn’t really help you launch your career?

There is even more evidence to suggest that film school might not be that necessary. Consider the following:

Degrees and diplomas are virtually irrelevant to the film industry. Someone trying to hire you is more likely to ask you what you’ve worked on and who recommends you than where you went to school.
Experience and connections carry more weight in the film industry than a degree. Most film schools can offer neither of these.
Many industry professionals think film school is a waste of your time and money. They have seen firsthand that formal education does not adequately prepare students for the ins and outs of the actual film industry.
Most industry pros believe on-the-job training is better than classroom education when it comes to film. Many people in the film industry actually learned by getting on the set and learning the ropes.
Now, this isn’t to suggest that anyone can become a famous director/producer just by going on the set of a film production. Is film school necessary? Perhaps not—but a good education IS necessary. Even the directors named above found some way to get educated, even if it wasn’t in film school. If you can land an apprenticeship (externship) in a real film production company, that might be all the education you need. If you don’t have those kinds of connections, though, there is another alternative to consider.

As mentioned earlier, there is a consensus among many industry professionals that on-the-job training is better for filmmakers than classroom education. An innovative learning method called the mentor-apprentice (extern) approach bases its whole format on this idea. Instead of training students in classrooms and simulated studios, the mentor-apprentice (extern) school places film students into real production companies as apprentices, where seasoned professionals guide them one-on-one through a curriculum on real film shoots. This not only provides the necessary education, but it also provides the opportunities to gain real-life experience and make inside connections, both of which are vital to success in this field.

Becoming a successful filmmaker doesn’t happen magically or by chance; it requires commitment and hard work, whether or not you receive a formal education. Is film school necessary to your career? Not if you can get the needed education, experience and connections by some other way.

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