The Week Seven lecture defines lighting as the relationship between the camera position and the subject, i.e. is the subject backlit? We are reminded of the importance in pre-planning of the shot coverage, and the vitality of storyboarding and shotlisting. With the use of artificial lighting as opposed to natural is subject to the setting, we must keep in mind that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; in the case of Australia, as Paul suggests, the sun begins to divert to the north during winter. It is also imperative to be aware of things such as the location of the key light, fill and back, whereas the key is usually the source of natural light within the location. Personally, a new concept to me was the use of negative fills, or blocking out more light than introducing more illumination. This is particularly interesting because lighting brings about connotation of using lights to make the setting brighter and reducing shadow.
As the production team’s Cinematographer, it was my responsibility to familiarise myself with the most important tool of our film – the camera.
Taking on the Allen & Unwin reading on Image Control from Week Five, it was particularly interesting for me to learn about the effect of the lens angle/length on the shot’s depth of field. It is clear for everyone who has had experience with cameras that a wider lens angle provides a greater depth of field; this means that the subject may continue to move forward and backward and still be in range of focus. A narrower lens angle however, provides a shallower depth of field that causes the “blurry background” effect that many aesthetics seek in modern clips. I believe that considering our short film consists mostly of medium/closeups (the rest are track shots), this idea would definitely be something for me to take into consideration during production.
It was also critical to take away from the reading the issue of safety on set. Using a variety of lighting rigs, it is essential for the production team to be aware of the voltage=wattage ratio and the capacity of any eletrical conductors we would be using. As the camera operator being attached to the audio guy, I must keep in mind that the cables around me pass as a risk not only to me or my crew, but also the actors/guests we have on location. There are checklists on the reading that are recommendable to any filmmakers on placement of gear, cabling, electrical spot check, ladders, lighting, as well lifting and first aid.
A clip of Antonioni’s 1966 film Blow Up is provided as an example of the cinematographer-director collaboration process. Pre-production planning of shot composition is obvious in this clip. There is a lack in long shots but instead, a variety of close ups, medium shots and two shots that have been edited together were used to follow the actors movement by movement. Most shots pan to their movement, somewhat from a distance, that is, except for the earliest shot that then transforms into a long shot, meaning that the actors remain constantly in the middle of the frame. Because of the variety of shots implemented, the camera operator can afford to film at a wider lens angle and utilise a greater depth of field for the actors to move in.
Directing a scene like this would require the director to undergo a series of blocking with the actors. The director, Antonioni, would explain to the actors where the camera will be placed in each shot and where they would stand/how fast should their pace be/etc.
