Director of Photography: Responsibilities
A key part of the DoP's role is testing equipment. This involves testing different camera bodies, lenses, filters and accessories such as fig rigs and tripods to discover which combination of equipment will work best to achieve the visual style the director desires. As well as testing camera equipment, the DoP must test out the different lighting as this all affects the cinematography and visual look of the film. The DoP must work out the colour tones of the lighting and whether this will be achieved through using different coloured gels over the lighting during the shoot, or manipulating the footage in post production. [2]
Director of Photography: Camera Settings
In order to get the best visual look for the film, the DoP must be familiar with camera settings and how these can be manipulated to create the best visual qualities.
I started off by looking at the basics and exploring the exposure triangle. [3]
Is is important to understand exposure and how to expose the camera correctly to achieve the best visual quality. In order to get the best exposure for the image, the ISO, shutter speed and aperture must all be juggled until the correct exposure is found.
Using a higher ISO allows for a higher exposure, however, with a high ISO comes a reduced image quality which can be seen though grain on the image. Therefore, shooting with a lower ISO is more ideal which means that the aperture and shutter speed must then be manipulated to compensate for the lower exposure which comes with a lower ISO.
A wider aperture creates a shallow depth of field and allows more light into the sensor, therefore increasing the exposure of the shot. A shallow depth of field means that the subject in the foreground is in sharp focus, whilst the background of the shot is blurred. This could work well in the documentary genre as interviews often feature subjects in focus with the background being blurred.
A slower shutter speed (like a wider aperture) allows more light into the sensor, increasing the exposure. However, if the shutter speed is too slow, the image could become blurred which would then reduce the quality of the footage. I need to find the right balance between the exposure of the shot and the visual quality in order to get the best result.
These three elements combined determine the exposure of the shot. I will test these settings in the test shoot to determine the settings I will use for our actual shoot.
Director of Photography: Lighting
As well as working out camera settings, it is also my responsibility to work out how to light the shoot. In order to do this I will need to work out whether natural lighting or artificial lighting will work best.
If I opt to naturally light the scene (which would allow for more soft, natural visuals), I will need to consider the sunrise and sunset.
This will allow me to understand how the light will affect the location at different times of the day. This means I can work with the director to schedule the order of the day so that we can utilise the natural light.
If I choose artificial light, I will not have to consider the natural light and the light movement as much as this will be blocked out. Artificial light will allow me to manipulate the look of the scene easier as I will have more control over the light sources (however, in some instances natural light gives the desired look). With artificial light I will also need to consider how strong to light the scene and also whether to use coloured gels to manipulate the colour of the scene (or whether to do this in post production with the editor). I will use the test shoot to decide how to light the project.
Documentary Cinematography: Martina Radwan and Nick Higgins
- Think on your feet – plan out what you need to achieve beforehand so that you can capture the events as they unfold.
- Be as minimum impact as possible – this allows for the best actuality
- Relationship with director – freedom to decide how to shoot interviews but in keeping with theme of the director's vision and the documentary
- Similar lens on same f stop all the way through to ensure continuity throughout
- Both cinematographers like the contemporary look – this involves subtle, natural lighting that is not too Hollywood style
- When performing multi camera interviews – if you only need the camera in one place, only have the camera in one place
- Be as minimum impact as possible – this allows for the best actuality
- Relationship with director – freedom to decide how to shoot interviews but in keeping with theme of the director's vision and the documentary
- Similar lens on same f stop all the way through to ensure continuity throughout
- Both cinematographers like the contemporary look – this involves subtle, natural lighting that is not too Hollywood style
- When performing multi camera interviews – if you only need the camera in one place, only have the camera in one place
Whilst this advice mainly applies to shooting documentaries not mockumentaries, I will still take on board elements of it as we are still aiming the emulate the documentary look (just with planned out shots). I will plan out all the shots we need (similar to shooting a drama), but then I will film them in a way that emulates the documentary style (therefore adding to the mocking humour of the mockumentary - the more similar the piece looks to a serious documentary, the more humorous it will be). I will also take on board the advice of keeping the same lens and aperture throughout the piece as I feel this will aid the continuity. The advice about multi camera interviews is also useful - there is no need to complicate shots if only one angle is required.
The shots in this documentary are very artistic to reflect the subject matter. The cutaway sequences are given a vintage look by adding grain and a projector style filter. As the interviews are talking about the differences and advancements from the past to present, adding a vintage look to these cutaways is appropriate as it reflects the time that they are talking about. Glitch transitions are also added to keep with this vintage look.
The interviews are all shot against a black background - this again adds to the idea that this documentary is about the subject of photography and therefore using a black photography background reflects this. To contrast to the vintage looking sequences, the interviews are shot to look sharp and good quality. Martina Radwan keeps to her advice of just using the camera in one position if this is all that is required. The interviewee is able to get their message across without the need of another camera at another angle, meaning that using another camera in this interview would be futile.
From looking at this documentary, I will consider which angles need to be used in our interview segments (if we choose to follow a similar format documentary / mockumentary) in order to figure out how many positions are really required to tell our story. I will also consider whether sequences / actuality need to be filmed in such a way to either reflect the subject matter or the time period in question. Using vintage filters in this documentary aided the narrative, therefore using a filter to reflect our chosen subject matter may also aid our narrative.
Mentor (cinematography by Martina Radwan)
The documentary opens with establishing shots of the location to display where in the world the narrative is taking place.
Establishing shots of school corridors and school rooms are then used to establish the subject matter of the documentary. Whilst these shots are being played, sound from the interviews is being played underneath. This also helps to establish the subject - whilst images of schools are being shown, parents of children bullied at school are giving their accounts and experiences.
All the interviews are filmed in slightly different ways - this is to cater for their settings. This (like the other documentary) follows her advice of only having the camera where it is needed to tell the story. In this case, the camera was needed in this position to display the interviewee as well as the photograph of her daughter who she is talking about. In other circumstances, the interviews are filmed closer up as the only important aspect of the shot is the interviewee. This interview (and many of the other interviews) have quite a deep depth of field, allowing a lot of the detail in the surrounding to be seen. Whilst it is very easy to opt for a shallow depth of field to give a more aesthetically pleasing look, it is also important to consider the benefits of using a deeper depth of field - being able to see more of the details and surround elements of the location.
From looking into this documentary I have discovered the importance of firstly establishing the location and subject matter so that the audience is clear on what they are watching. I will aim to do a similar thing in our mockumentary in order to emulate the documentary genre - humour can then be added through narration or though following scenes.
O.J: Made In America (cinematography by Nick Higgins)
In contrast to the previous documentary, this des not begin with establishing shots of the location as this is not as important as the subject of the documentary (O.J Simpson). Instead, this documentary beings with stock footage of O.J Simpson to show that this documentary is about him.
The majority of this documentary is made up of stock footage and interviews. However, shots such as the one above were filmed to establish the location (the location is established later after the subject matters as this isn't as important as the subject)
What I have learnt:
- Being a DoP involves clear and constant communication - I must maintain good communication with the other members of the team. I must work with the group's director (Alex) to establish the visual style of the film before taking on research, test shoots and recces to explore how this can be achieved.
- I need to test equipment (both camera and lighting). I will do this through performing a test shoot. I need to work out which camera body and lens will be most appropriate for shooting our mockumentary as well as working out which accessories will be needed to achieve this. I will then also test the lighting and work out whether we will use natural of artificial lighting. If natural lighting is used, I need to work out where the sun rises and sets in relation to the location, however, this will not be an issue if we decided to solely rely on artificial lighting.
- The right camera settings are integral to the quality of the footage. I will test the camera settings in the test shoot to ensure we use the best settings for our actual shoot. Generally speaking, a lower ISO, slower shutter speed and wider aperture should allow for the best exposed image - but the specifics will be determined by testing the settings in the test shoot.
- Continuity is important to the visual look of a piece - whilst adjusting the settings is important for exposure, they shouldn't vary too much as this will disrupt the continuity of the film. In order to prevent disrupting the continuity yet still having a correctly exposed image, I will test the camera settings in the test shoot and form a standard set of settings I will shoot with. I will then adjust the settings slightly from this standard set in order to get the correct exposure yet maintain some sense of continuity.
Sources:
[1] http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/759_director_of_photography
[2] http://work.chron.com/director-photographys-duties-responsibilities-during-film-production-15918.html
[3] https://www.techradar.com/how-to/photography-video-capture/cameras/the-exposure-triangle-aperture-shutter-speed-and-iso-explained-1320830
After hearing their advice, I decided to look into some of their documentaries to see how they implemented this in their own work.
Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People (cinematography by Martina Radwan)
The shots in this documentary are very artistic to reflect the subject matter. The cutaway sequences are given a vintage look by adding grain and a projector style filter. As the interviews are talking about the differences and advancements from the past to present, adding a vintage look to these cutaways is appropriate as it reflects the time that they are talking about. Glitch transitions are also added to keep with this vintage look.
The interviews are all shot against a black background - this again adds to the idea that this documentary is about the subject of photography and therefore using a black photography background reflects this. To contrast to the vintage looking sequences, the interviews are shot to look sharp and good quality. Martina Radwan keeps to her advice of just using the camera in one position if this is all that is required. The interviewee is able to get their message across without the need of another camera at another angle, meaning that using another camera in this interview would be futile.
From looking at this documentary, I will consider which angles need to be used in our interview segments (if we choose to follow a similar format documentary / mockumentary) in order to figure out how many positions are really required to tell our story. I will also consider whether sequences / actuality need to be filmed in such a way to either reflect the subject matter or the time period in question. Using vintage filters in this documentary aided the narrative, therefore using a filter to reflect our chosen subject matter may also aid our narrative.
Mentor (cinematography by Martina Radwan)
The documentary opens with establishing shots of the location to display where in the world the narrative is taking place.
Establishing shots of school corridors and school rooms are then used to establish the subject matter of the documentary. Whilst these shots are being played, sound from the interviews is being played underneath. This also helps to establish the subject - whilst images of schools are being shown, parents of children bullied at school are giving their accounts and experiences.
All the interviews are filmed in slightly different ways - this is to cater for their settings. This (like the other documentary) follows her advice of only having the camera where it is needed to tell the story. In this case, the camera was needed in this position to display the interviewee as well as the photograph of her daughter who she is talking about. In other circumstances, the interviews are filmed closer up as the only important aspect of the shot is the interviewee. This interview (and many of the other interviews) have quite a deep depth of field, allowing a lot of the detail in the surrounding to be seen. Whilst it is very easy to opt for a shallow depth of field to give a more aesthetically pleasing look, it is also important to consider the benefits of using a deeper depth of field - being able to see more of the details and surround elements of the location.
From looking into this documentary I have discovered the importance of firstly establishing the location and subject matter so that the audience is clear on what they are watching. I will aim to do a similar thing in our mockumentary in order to emulate the documentary genre - humour can then be added through narration or though following scenes.
O.J: Made In America (cinematography by Nick Higgins)
In contrast to the previous documentary, this des not begin with establishing shots of the location as this is not as important as the subject of the documentary (O.J Simpson). Instead, this documentary beings with stock footage of O.J Simpson to show that this documentary is about him.
The majority of this documentary is made up of stock footage and interviews. However, shots such as the one above were filmed to establish the location (the location is established later after the subject matters as this isn't as important as the subject)
Nick Higgins biggest role as cinematographer for this documentary was the interviews. All interviews are shot in a similar style - shallow depth of field, subject lit more heavily from one direction and using a location to reflect the individual being interviewed. This is kept constant throughout the documentary - showing Nick Higgins following his advice of using the same lens and aperture throughout a documentary to maintain a sense of continuity.
From looking into this documentary I have learnt the importance of shooting interviews correctly. Using a surrounding that reflects the individual or the subject matter is important to reflect the theme of the documentary - I need to ensure I do similar in our mockumentary to follow this style. The majority of this documentary is made up from stock footage, therefore there is not a lot to analyse in terms of the cinematography. However, Nick Higgins has ensured that the interviews he has filmed, compliment the existing stock footage in terms of the style and framing in which they are shot. I will aim to use a similar technique by ensuring any interviews I shoot compliment any sequences / actuality I shoot, allowing there to be continuity.
What I have learnt:
- Being a DoP involves clear and constant communication - I must maintain good communication with the other members of the team. I must work with the group's director (Alex) to establish the visual style of the film before taking on research, test shoots and recces to explore how this can be achieved.
- I need to test equipment (both camera and lighting). I will do this through performing a test shoot. I need to work out which camera body and lens will be most appropriate for shooting our mockumentary as well as working out which accessories will be needed to achieve this. I will then also test the lighting and work out whether we will use natural of artificial lighting. If natural lighting is used, I need to work out where the sun rises and sets in relation to the location, however, this will not be an issue if we decided to solely rely on artificial lighting.
- The right camera settings are integral to the quality of the footage. I will test the camera settings in the test shoot to ensure we use the best settings for our actual shoot. Generally speaking, a lower ISO, slower shutter speed and wider aperture should allow for the best exposed image - but the specifics will be determined by testing the settings in the test shoot.
- Continuity is important to the visual look of a piece - whilst adjusting the settings is important for exposure, they shouldn't vary too much as this will disrupt the continuity of the film. In order to prevent disrupting the continuity yet still having a correctly exposed image, I will test the camera settings in the test shoot and form a standard set of settings I will shoot with. I will then adjust the settings slightly from this standard set in order to get the correct exposure yet maintain some sense of continuity.
Sources:
[1] http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles/759_director_of_photography
[2] http://work.chron.com/director-photographys-duties-responsibilities-during-film-production-15918.html
[3] https://www.techradar.com/how-to/photography-video-capture/cameras/the-exposure-triangle-aperture-shutter-speed-and-iso-explained-1320830
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