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Film Education


Ray Rushing

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I am coming to cinematography from photography and I am looking to learn as much as I can. Besides actually shooting with it or getting on a set that is shooting film are there any good resources out there to learn some of the basics? I've tried googling but the term "film" typically just leads to tutorials about filmmaking or breakdowns of films. I'm looking for something specific to shooting on film.

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If you're a photographer you can buy film pretty cheap. Shoot on various stocks and get familiar. The key difference with cinematography is you're generally gonna keep a fixed shutter rate most of the time. Exposure changes are commonly done with aperture on the lens and filters. Unless you push or pull the negative in processing. But you don't have the luxury of changing shutter for exposure compensation in cinematography the way you can in photography cause it affects the look too much.

 

You also have to factor in the 24fps that the film is shooting at. If you change that for a slow or quick effect it changes your exposure.

 

You also need a way, way better tripod than you do in still photography. It will run pretty expensive if you want to hold up a heavy film camera.

 

Otherwise, most of the principles are the same. But those are the basics.

Edited by Michael LaVoie
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Me too. Thanks for the question. I found this https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/cinematography-manual-the-ultimate-guide-to-becoming-a-director-of-photography/ looks interesting. I learn by doing developing and printing in my coal cellar darkroom after shooting with a Bolex H16RX4 camera. My goal is to document what works, using black and white film, then, print films for festivals.

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If you're a photographer you can buy film pretty cheap. Shoot on various stocks and get familiar. The key difference with cinematography is you're generally gonna keep a fixed shutter rate most of the time. Exposure changes are commonly done with aperture on the lens and filters. Unless you push or pull the negative in processing. But you don't have the luxury of changing shutter for exposure compensation in cinematography the way you can in photography cause it affects the look too much.

 

You also have to factor in the 24fps that the film is shooting at. If you change that for a slow or quick effect it changes your exposure.

 

You also need a way, way better tripod than you do in still photography. It will run pretty expensive if you want to hold up a heavy film camera.

 

Otherwise, most of the principles are the same. But those are the basics.

 

Thank Michael. This is helpful. Locking the shutter rate makes sense.

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Me too. Thanks for the question. I found this https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/cinematography-manual-the-ultimate-guide-to-becoming-a-director-of-photography/ looks interesting. I learn by doing developing and printing in my coal cellar darkroom after shooting with a Bolex H16RX4 camera. My goal is to document what works, using black and white film, then, print films for festivals.

Are you doing the film processing at home?

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Yes, I have three sizes of Lomo tanks and a small Jobo tank for 6 foot tests

To the OP...Check out the Filmmakers Handbook.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Filmmakers-Handbook-2013-Steven-Ascher/dp/0452297281

 

To Michael...that is impressive! You should photo some of your projects and blog about it. I'd like to see what you are doing. If you don't have a blog, make a free one on WordPress. I tried your FB, but it wont work. FB banned me so maybe that is it.

Edited by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.
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To the OP...Check out the Filmmakers Handbook.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Filmmakers-Handbook-2013-Steven-Ascher/dp/0452297281

 

To Michael...that is impressive! You should photo some of your projects and blog about it. I'd like to see what you are doing. If you don't have a blog, make a free one on WordPress. I tried your FB, but it wont work. FB banned me so maybe that is it.

 

Thanks Daniel. I'll check it out.

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