Film studiesLesson 1 of 1 in the course Cinematography

Cinematography: Image Capture, Composition, Lighting, and Motion

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Cinematography is the art and practice of creating moving images. This lesson introduces how a camera forms and records images, why cinematography matters, and how early inventions led to cinema.

The word cinematography comes from Greek roots meaning “movement” and “to write” or “draw.” In practice, it is the art of motion-picture photography, including photography with electronic video cameras. Cinematography is not simply recording what is in front of a camera: choices about image, timing, and presentation help communicate a story, mood, or idea.

All flashcards

Cinematography
The art and practice of creating motion-picture images through photographic and visual choices.
Latent image
An invisible image formed in photographic film after exposure; chemical development makes it visible.
Digital image capture
An electronic sensor converts incoming light into signals that are processed and stored as digital data.
Depth of field
The range in front of and behind the focus point that appears acceptably sharp.
Rack focus
A shift of focus between subjects or planes within a single shot.

Quiz questions

  1. What does a camera lens do when forming an image?Answer: It focuses reflected light onto a sensor or light-sensitive film.
  2. How did Eadweard Muybridge photograph a horse's movement in 1878?Answer: Tripwires triggered a series of cameras as the horse passed.
  3. What capability helped the Lumière brothers' Cinématographe support public film screenings?Answer: It could capture, print, and project film.
  4. How did the Kinetoscope differ from public projection?Answer: It let one person at a time view a moving image through a peephole.
  5. What happens when action is captured at a higher frame rate than it is played back?Answer: The action appears in slow motion.

Based on the Wikipedia article Cinematography, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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