Week 2

In this week’s course, our focus shifted from the script to the camera. We mainly discussed the camera lens. Especially the focal length. At the same time, we watched a few single-shot clips this week. First of all, Robin showed us several lenses with different focal lengths in class. It is vital to understand the different characteristics of each focal length before using it. Moreover, I learned that the focal length determines our angle of view, and it also determines the range of the photographer’s view. When the focal length is shorter, the view’s field is wider. The greater the extent of the scene captured by the lens. On the contrary, when the focal length is longer, the smaller the range captured by the lens. Furthermore, the focal length is usually expressed in millimeters (mm). To watch a few short videos, I understand that a long focal length lens is suitable for shooting a person’s details. Therefore, using a long lens will easily make the background blurred and shadowed, allowing the audience to pay more attention to the actors performing similar behaviors and expressions. The wide-angle lens means that the photographic angle of view is relatively wide, suitable for the environment with a large shooting range, and could show the fusion of the environment and the characters.

In general, through the study and analysis this week, I have a better understanding of the lens. In a film, different lenses can make a film look more layered and diversified. This is what I ignored in my previous studies. I used to spend most of my time editing but ignored the use of the camera itself. Finally, each focal length corresponds to a different scene, and I will spend more time practicing how to use them accurately as the focus of my next study plan.