Cinematography

Focus and
Lighting
 Camera Focus
• How the camera focuses on things is
very important to creating meaning in
cinema and engaging us as spectators.

• The camera acts as our eyes in the

scene, focusing on different people or
objects. This allows us as an audience
to identify important narrative points
and create relationships with
characters.
 Types of Focus
• Soft Focus:

• Soft focus was used a lot in the ‘Golden Age’

of cinema.

• It was used primarily on women to give

them a glowing look and to soften their
features.

• It can also be used in excess to cause

disorientation and confuse an audience (for
example if a character has been struck)
 Types of Focus
• Deep
Focus:
• Deep focus allows everything in the
shot to be in focus at the same time.

• It was made popular by Orson Welles in

his infamous film Citizen Kane
 Types of Focus
• Shallow
Focus:
• This type of focus is the opposite to
Deep Focus. In this shot only the
foreground is in focus, but the
background remains a blur.
 Types of Focus
• Pull
Focus:
• This type of focus shifts between 2
points.
• It can be used to draw an audiences
attention, or to shift between 2
characters in dialogue.
 Lighting
• Lighting is an incredibly important part of
cinematography.

• It can completely change the mood of a film

by creating or removing shadows on a
characters face or in a scene.

• By simply changing the lighting these two

hospital corridors have a drastically different
effect on an audience.
Drama Horror
 Lighting
• High Key
Lighting:
• This is a very bright lighting set up
which is usually free from shadows.

• Its is used to create a light and

open environment.

• This is normally achieved by using

lots of different light sources.
 • Romantic

Comedies
• Comedies

• Feel Good
Films
• Action
Films
• Children’
s Films
 Lighting
• Low Key
Lighting:
• This is the opposite of high key
lighting.
• This lighting looks to create shadow,
which creates suspense and tension in
a scene.
This is usually achieved by using one
light source.
Horror
s
Suspens
e
Thrille
rs
 Lighting
• These two definitions are very basic
and encompass either end of the
lighting spectrum. There is a wide
range of different lighting techniques
between the two.
 Lighting
• Three Point
Lighting:
• Films rarely use one light in a scene.
The most common way to light a
scene and an actor is through three
point lighting.
• As the name suggests this used three
main points of lighting.

• The key light, the back light and a fill

light.
 Lighting
• Three Point
Lighting:
• Key
Light:
• The key light is the biggest and
brightest of the lights.

• It shines from the front and bleaches

out any contours in the actors face. It
also creates shadows behind the
person.
 Lighting
• Three Point
Lighting:
• Back
Light:
• This creates a ‘halo’ effect and
removes any defects in the
background and foreground.
 Lighting
• Three Point
Lighting:
• Fill
Light:
• This fills any shadows created by the
Key light or Back light, for example
shadows across the eyes or nose.
 Lighting
• Overhead
Lighting:
• A single light from above a character
can be used to create a sinister effect
and can be unflattering for the actor.

• This will highlight contours in the

actors face and make them look
harder, masculine and colder.
 Lighting
• Under
Lighting:
• Although this lights from the
opposite direction it still creates a
similar effect.
Similarly to overhead lighting this
hollows out the eyes and obscures the
face.

It is normally reserved from male

characters.
 Lighting
• Side Lighting:

• This creates a shadow across the

actors face.

This can be used to symbolise a duplicitous

character, or one with a split personality.