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Home , Framing (visual arts), Gregg Toland, Principal photography, Shallow focus

CAPTURING IMAGES on .A.S. ® © A.M.P

Teacher’s Resource Guide : Youth Media International Ltd. Program Components 1. This instructional guide Dear Educator: 2. Four student activity masters outh Media International, in cooperation with the 3. A four- wall poster for classroom display YAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is 4. A response card for teacher comments proud to present the second in a series of annual study guides that will focus on the different branches Target Audience of the Academy. In this guide, students will learn about This program has been designed for students in sec- cinematography, one of the many craft ondary school English, language areas involved in creating a motion arts, and communica- picture, as they complete the activities tions courses. in this kit. The kit has been designed for students in secondary school English, Program language arts, visual arts and communi- Objectives cations courses.The activities have 1.To enhance student interest in been developed to capitalize on and knowledge about the students’ natural interest in current motion picture development and the excitement generated by and production process. the ®. They are 2.To encourage students to use designed to teach valuable lessons in critical thinking as they learn critical thinking and to develop visual how con- literacy skills. tribute to the process of The Academy, organized in 1927, is a creating a motion picture. professional honorary organization com- 3.To engage students in an posed of more than 6,000 motion picture exploration of film as a craftsmen and women. Its purposes medium of communication. include advancing the art and science of 4.To help students become motion pictures; fostering cooperation shooting The Rescue more visually literate. among creative leaders for cultural, educational and technological progress; recognizing Introduction outstanding achievements, and fostering educational The first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, activities between the professional community and the 1929, just after the advent of “talkies.” By 1930, enthusiasm public at large. Academy members are the people who was so great that a Los create movies—the cream of the industry’s , art Angeles radio station did a directors, cinematographers, costume designers, direc- live, one-hour broadcast, tors, film editors, make-up artists, composers, produc- and the Awards have ers, sound- and visual-effects experts, and writers. enjoyed broadcast coverage Please share this material with other teachers in ever since. your school. Although the material is copyrighted, you The number and types may make as many photocopies as necessary to meet of awards have grown and your students’ needs. changed over the years to To ensure that you receive future mailings, please fill keep up with the develop- out and return the enclosed reply card. Also, feel free ment of the motion picture to e-mail us at [email protected] to comment industry. Since 1981,Awards of Merit—Oscars—have about the program at any time.We welcome your been presented in each (or in sub-divisions) of the thoughts and suggestions. following categories: acting, art direction, cinematogra- phy, , directing, feature and short docu- Sincerely, mentary film, , foreign-language film, make- up, music, best picture, best animated and best live-action short film, sound, sound-effects editing, Roberta Nusim, Publisher and writing. In an age when awards shows seem as common as nightly news programs, the Academy Awards are unique because the judges—Academy This is the second in a series of guides that will members—are the top filmmakers from around the focus on different branches of the Academy of world.The question,“Who gets the Oscar?,” is decided Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. If you would like by a true jury of peers. to receive future kits from the Academy and its With the exception of the best picture, which is various branches, please be sure to fill out and decided by the entire Academy, and the documentary, return the enclosed reply card. foreign-language film and short-film categories, which are selected by special viewing committees, nominations CINEMATOGRAPHY: CAPTURING IMAGES on FILM Graduated y deter- scene

Using a video cam- is often achieved by is often achieved high-key scene, the lighting is A SCENE the production design- production the er), and depends on the setting, mood and char- acter of the story or the scene.Three basic styles of lighting are high-key, and low-key graduated tonality. appears bright.Theappears cine- matographer uses soft, matographer diffused lighting and there are few shadows. few are In a low- key defined by lights that cast defined by sharper shadows. tonality using soft light to light the While there are no hard-and- are While there the Activity:

scenery dark, can be intentionally example,for and sometimes tonal painted onto the gradations are sets or the costumes or even included in the actors’ makeup.) fast rules about lighting, drama is done in a low-key generally is style and comedy generally style of lighting. done in a high-key Graduated tonality is used in all Activity 2. ).When a on is mounted a In this activity your students will learn about In this activity your on the axis of the camera mount ( ); mount the camera axis of on the it in a 90-degree or down up be moved also can (tilting arc forward, it can be rolled dolly and backward sideways. on also can be mounted even for that allow cranes power-operated flexibility.more cameras hand-held Lightweight used,also are in part, at least films. on many and techniques and the the basic camera angles here are various styles of lighting that a cinemato- are here can use.grapher Lighting style is generall scene and create soft shadows,scene and create a single often from source. (It is important to note that other factors also of the lighting.can enhance the effects Costumes and special effects they can create. they special effects a film, view As they they the cine- techniques used by will identify the various matographer, film a would they will plan how and they in that film. variation on one scene LIGHTING Supplementary era, experiment to in small groups students work have film original techniques as they with various camera short scenes. to each group class time for Provide and explain the techniques they its film segment screen trying to achieve. were they used and the effects mined in consultation with the director (and often mined in consultation with the director T (1941). Mississippi A River Runs (1990), (1993), Orson Welles and cinematographer on Toland Gregg Kane the set of Citizen (1987) and Out of

(1995) Schindler’s List Schindler’s (1997), 1. (1996) Dances With Wolves The Last Emperor Shakespeare in Shakespeare (1997), Viewing Sense and Sensi-

Amistad (1992), the

CAMERA (1988),

Titanic A Little Princess (1985). Activity

(1996),

Howards End (1995) and Howards (1998), he cinematographer works closely with the direc- closely works he cinematographer on captured tor to compose the images that are Fly Away Fly Away Home

The following films were following The

For each in a film,For must the cinematographer The following films have won Academy Awards for Awards Academy won films have The following

The awards nomination and The awards

ANGLING

Evita and choices. good be may dents, (1992). stu- younger For Love bility your students: your and may be appropriate for be appropriate and may Awards for cinematography for Awards Through It Through Burning Africa Academy nominated for view—of the shot.view—of A stationary camera can be rotated very different effects by varying by effects the angle—or point of very different shot will be made.The can create cinematographer kind of lens is necessary which the and the angle from eras and focus the lenses. eras and focus the subject the camera will be, far from plan how what camera assistants, who load the film, mount the cam- more camera operators,more actual filming, who do the and era, others supervise many a team that includes one or film.While operate the cam- some cinematographers

dents: cinematography and may be appropriate for your stu- your for be appropriate and may cinematography areas—cinematography. appropriate. are believe films that you space is limited, on just one of those this kit focuses activities,the following to suggest wish may or you and being supported the others. by Because our during wish to view select the films they Students may collaborative process,collaborative supporting with each craft area Student creating a motion picture.creating a nature is by Selecting Films for communications techniques—that play a part in techniques—that play communications craft areas—and the many craft areas—and your students about the many your wonderful opportunity to teach wonderful selection process provides a provides process selection select the final winners. select the Academy members vote to members vote Academy representing each craft.Allrepresenting ballot of Academy members Academy of ballot are determined by a secret a by determined are

T 929). kinds of situations. Lighting also is tographs in the first section of the activity sheet.You might used to create the illusion of also want to discuss with your students the staging of a depth and dimension, and to illu- play as a form of . minate different contours and Constructing a cardboard : The standard aspect textures. Depth can be empha- ratio of a screen image until the mid-1950s was four units sized by back- and side-lighting wide and three units high (this is expressed as 1.33:1), the actors to create highlights on which is still standard for television screens. For film, the prominent features and leave the ratio is 1.85:1.To construct a viewfinder with the same background in shadow. Sometimes ratio, students will need a piece of cardboard that mea- color gels are used over lights to sures 8.5” x 11”.They should mark three points that are enhance the depth of a scene (warm tones might be used 2.25” from each edge on the 8.5” sides and three points 7 to light the actors, while cooler might be used for that are 1.8′′(approximately 1 /8′′)from each edge on the background lights, for exam- the 11′′sides.They should connect ple). How the lights are posi- the points, outlining a 4′′x 7.4′′ 3 tioned to create shadows con- (approximately 7 /8′′)rectangle. trols how textures are viewed. Students should carefully cut along The human face, with its changing the lines to create their . contours, provides the greatest lighting challenge of all! Supplementary Activity: Note: If your students have Have your students view a recent access to instant cameras, you film. As they watch, ask them to pay may want to have them take pho- special attention to the framing of tographs of the setting they important scenes in the film. Stu- observe in the first part of dents should analyze each scene this activity. using the same criteria they used for still pictures and paintings. Supplementary Activity: Have your students work in pairs Activity 4. to create photographic studies of various landmarks in your commu- LEARNING nity under different lighting condi- Brianne Murphy at work. from the BEST tions (weather conditions, time of ach year, the pro- day, etc.). One student in each pair Educes an array of outstanding should use black-and-white film and new releases. Some are especially appropriate for fami- the other should use color film. Create a class display. Dis- lies, some are appealing to teens, and some are geared cuss the differences between the black-and-white and color toward adult audiences. If you or the parents of your stu- images. For example, how does the lack of color affect the dents feel that some, or even all, of this year’s nominees mood and tone of the ? might be inappropriate for viewing by young people, you can modify this activity in several ways. Students can locate Activity 3. reviews in newspapers and maga- FRAMING the SHOT zines, compare what the critics have he “framing” of a shot simply indicates where the cine- to say, and try to predict which of Tmatographer has placed the borders of an image. For the year’s films will be honored for every individual shot in a film, someone has to decide the strength of their cinematography. where the camera will be in relation to the actors and the They can view Academy Award nomi- space they are in.The cinematographer’s decisions about nees and Academy Award-winning the movement of the camera are critical in telling the films from past years to complete the story effectively. exercises.A list of past nominees and At the beginning of a new scene, the cinematographer winners appears at the beginning of will generally include an .This term is some- this teacher’s guide. times used in a very literal way—to describe a shot of the building in which the next scene will take place, for exam- ple—but more often it refers to an initial that ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES establishes the spatial relationships of people and other details that will be shown later in the scene in closer shots.The establishing shot helps the viewer become ori- ented to the new location. Youth Media Framing is not unique to filmmaking, as your students International Ltd. P.O. Box 305 will see as they view and discuss paintings and still pho- Easton, CT 06612 © 1999 YMI Ltd. Activity1 ANGLING the CAMERA Reproducible Master he cinematographer, or director of , has an extremely ow, think about a scene in the film that you Tcomplex and challenging job. He or she must translate the ideas of Ncould present differently.What characters the director and the writer onto film.The cinematographer must know are involved in the scene? Briefly describe how to use the camera to capture the images in the most effective way what happens: ______possible, and consider lighting, composition, camera moves and angles, ______different types of film, lenses and cameras, use of color, etc., when filming each shot. In composing a shot, the cinematographer must consider how ______each image relates to the images that came before it, and how it will ______relate to those that will follow it. Most shots are filmed several times to ensure that the end result will be just right. Each of these filming seg- How would you place the camera relative to the ments is called a “take.” The resulting takes are edited together to create characters to let the audience in on your feelings the film’s sequence of action that, in turn, moves the story forward. about them? ______For 1998, Saving Private Ryan won the Academy Award for cinematog- raphy. Pick a film you would like to see that was recognized for achieve- ______ment in cinematography (an outstanding example is , hon- ored in 1941). As you watch the film, try to focus on the details of the What objects are included in the scene? Would the images. For example, think about the angles of different shots.The cine- camera treat some of them with the same impor- matographer can convey a great deal simply by changing the angle of the tance as the characters? Why or why not? ______camera:A shot taken from above can make a figure seem small or ______insignificant; one taken from below can make a figure seem larger, impor- tant, and even menacing. Use of a hand-held camera can give a feeling of How and why will your scene differ from the origi- intimacy and reality to a scene. Select one scene from the film and com- nal scene? ______plete the following (use the other side of this sheet if necessary): ______Title of film: ______What is the tone of the scene, and how does the camera placement and On another sheet of paper, make rough sketches movement contribute to it? that show the sequence of action in the original ______scene and then in your revised scene. Pay particular ______attention to the relationship between the camera, the characters and the action.Annotate your Is the camera placed higher, lower, or on the same level as the actors, and sketches with notes about the camera placement how does the placement make you feel about the characters? Are some and movement you will use and the meaning you characters treated differently than others by the camera placement? intend to convey with each. ______Some Camera Techniques ______Aerial shot: A shot taken from the air, as from an airplane, helicopter, bal- Does the camera move a great deal, or is it fixed, loon, etc., or a high-angle shot from a camera mounted on a crane. with the action moving within a fixed frame? : The photographic technique of keeping the entire image—no matter how far from the camera—in sharp focus.This allows action to ______occur at different distances in the same scene.The opposite technique, known as shallow focus, uses a small to create a shallow focal ow, let’s take a closer look. View the film plane. It is often used to direct the viewer’s attention to something specific. Nagain, but this time turn the sound down so Pan: A broad horizontal camera movement on a fixed camera mount. A you can focus more easily on what you see.Watch swish pan is a very fast panoramic movement of the camera, resulting in a how transitions are made visually from one scene blurred image, that sometimes is used as a transition between scenes. to another, and look for other special camera tech- : A shot that makes people or objects appear to be moving niques. How many of the following could you iden- more slowly than normal.This is achieved by moving film through the cam- tify in your film? era more quickly when filming but projecting it at a normal speed. Slow motion Aerial shot Soft focus: Reducing the sharpness of the image by changing the lens or by plac- Shallow focus ing material such as gauze between the lens and the object being photographed. Soft focus Deep focus Tracking shot: A shot in which the camera moves from one point to anoth- Zoom shot Pan er—either sideways, in, or out.This is also known as a traveling shot.

© 1999 YMI Ltd. Activity2 LIGHTING Reproducible Master the SCENE

oted filmmaker, author and teacher Kris ow, let’s look at how other sources of light can affect NMalkiewicz describes lighting as “the Nthe mood and feeling of a scene. In a corner of your most important element in cinematography…the classroom, create a vignette by posing several of your class- task to which a cinematographer gives his mates. On the back of this sheet, draw a rough sketch of primary attention.” your vignette. In the space below, describe how the scene The cinematographer must know how to manipu- changes as the lighting source changes. late the lighting—using the right quality of light and distributing it in just the right way—to create the Natural light from the window (overhead lighting off): mood that is required for each scene in the film.The ______cinematographer must know how and when to use hard light (light that travels directly from its source ______undiffused, creating sharply defined shadows) and soft ______light (light that bounces off another source or is dif- fused through a translucent material, such as tracing paper, thereby softening the shadows). He or she Overhead fluorescent lights (curtains closed): also must consider the angle of the throw (the path ______the light follows).This is important in creating the ______mood of a scene and suggesting the time of day. Additionally, the cinematographer must be able to ______communicate clearly to those who set and focus the lighting instruments precisely how he or she wants a Spotlight (the beam from a large flashlight, for example): scene lit. ______The primary source of light outdoors is sunlight. Although often supplementing sunlight with artificial ______lights, when shooting outdoors the cinematographer ______must consider how the angle of the sun at different times of day affects the setting and changes its mood Candlelight: and appearance.Try this experiment to see just how ______much impact the angle of the sun can have. Pick a location (a room in your house with a large window, ______a spot in your yard, the street in front of your ______house, etc.) that you can easily observe at sunrise, at midday, at sunset and at twilight. Some Important Lighting Terms Back light: A light designed to separate the actors from the background. The setting I will observe is: ______The is lit from directly behind, creating a halo effect that empha- sizes hair or a profile while leaving the face in shadow.The kicker light ______has a similar function, but is placed in a three-quarters-back position on ______the opposite side of the face from the key light and often is lower to the floor than the back light. Record what you see in the chart below.Think about such things as the amount of light, Key light: The main source used to the shadows the light casts and their angles, whether colors are bright and vivid or muted light a subject. and subdued and how the scene “feels” (warm and inviting, alive and energized, etc.). Fill light: Light that is used to fill in the shadows created by the key light. Time How the Mood conveyed of day setting looks by the setting Set light: A light that is used to illuminate the walls and furniture on Sunrise ______a set. Midday ______Source light: Light that appears to be coming from a source within Sunset ______the scene, for example, a lamp on Twilight ______a table or a fireplace.

© 1999 YMI Ltd. Activity3 FRAMING the SHOT Reproducible Master

raming, the overall composition of the ow, using your cardboard viewfinder, Fshot, is the placement of people and Npractice framing your own photo- objects within the border of the film frame. graphic compositions. Keep in mind the Composition greatly influences the audi- relationships between the people and ence’s experience of a movie and allows the objects in each frame, the source of filmmaker to emphasize people or objects lighting, etc. that hold more importance than others. For example, if a filmmaker chooses to place a Finally, imagine a brief scene that character center and more forward in the takes place in your school—in the frame and light that character more brightly, library or cafeteria or on the athletic the audience’s attention will focus more field, for example. directly on that character. The cinematogra- The location for my scene is: pher generally works with the director to determine how each shot will be framed. But ______framing isn’t unique to filmmaking—still pho- ______tographers and painters also must determine how they will frame their compositions. Brianne Murphy at work. The main characters are: ______In a book or on the Internet, find a pic- ture of a painting that especially appeals to ______you. Consider the following questions as you ______view the painting. How did the artist “frame” the painting? How are the people and/or objects in the painting arranged? How did In a sentence or two, describe what happens: the artist light the scene through use of light and shadow? ______Name of painting: ______Artist: ______In a sentence or two, describe why you think the framing in What is the tone of your scene? the painting you selected is effective: ______Part of telling the story is ______choosing how you would frame each portion of the Locate a by Ansel Adams (1902-1984), who scene. Divide your scene into is known for his dramatic pictures of western landscapes. ten pieces.With an instant Ask yourself the same set of questions as you or simple sketches, the photograph. illustrate the story you are telling within the scene. Name/description of photograph:______The Basics of Framing In a sentence or two, describe why you think the way Adams Close-up shot: A very “tight” frame. A close-up of a person framed his photograph is effective: is generally just the face. A close-up of an object would include the object alone, or part of the object. ______Medium shot: A frame that includes much of the object or ______person.The character might be shown from the waist up, for example. ______Long shot: A frame that includes the entire object or person ______along with some of the surrounding environment.

© 1999 YMI Ltd. Activity4 LEARNING from Reproducible Master the BEST n the first three activities, we learned that the cinematogra- Ipher’s job is to capture on film the images that tell the story. We learned a little about camera techniques, the use of lighting and framing a scene. Now it’s time to look at this year’s nomi- nees.They will be announced on February 15, 2000. List the nominees for best cinematography in the space below: ______

Pick one film that you would like to see from the list of nominees. As you watch the film, consider some of the Orson Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland on the guidelines that members of the Academy follow when making set of Citizen Kane (1941). their award selections: How well did the cinematog- rapher succeed at capturing ow, put yourself in the shoes of an Academy member. just the right images to NUsing what you know about each of the nominated enhance the story? films—either from seeing them or reading about them—pre- How does the mood of the dict how the professional filmmakers in the Academy will vote. cinematography help to tell Then, watch the Academy Awards on March 26 or read the the story? paper the following day to see how you did with your predic- How does the lighting help to tions.Alternatively, view some films honored in the past for create that mood? achievement in cinematography and describe on the other side Does the composition of the of this sheet why you think they won in that category. shots reflect an aesthetic For more information about the sense? Are the camera moves Academy of Motion Picture Arts and well-conceived and unobtru- Sciences, visit these Web sites: sive? Do they contribute to http://www.cinematographer.com (American Society of the story-telling, adding sur- Cinematographers) prise, impact and emotional http://www.oscars.com value where needed? http://www.oscars.org After viewing the film, describe why you think the nomina- Additional Resources tion was or was not appropriate. (Keep in mind that beautiful American Cinematography magazine scenery and elaborate settings should not be factors in Cinematography, by Kris Malkiewicz. New York:Fireside, 1989. your evaluation.) The Filmmaker’s Handbook, by Edward Pincus and Steven Ascher. ______New York:New American Library, 1984. Frame by Frame:A Handbook for Creative Filmmaking, by Eric ______Sherman. Los Angeles:Acrobat Books, 1987. ______Masters of Light: Conversations with Contemporary ______Cinematographers, by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1984. ______Principal Photography, by Vincent Lobrutto. Praeger Publications ______Text,1999.

© 1999 YMI Ltd.