How Do Tungsten and LED Lighting Fixtures Compare?
The use of various lighting and fixtures on the set is something that filmmakers often review, testing and trying out new equipment in an effort to find what works best and is most suitable for their current needs. As a cinematographer, you’ve probably spent a lot of time reviewing various lighting options and wondered, “How […]
What’s the Difference Between High ISO vs Low ISO?
As an aspiring videographer, some of the earliest teachings that you’ll embark on if you attend film school will likely focus on the three primary topics surrounding the exposure triangle: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Understanding how these elements impact your footage, and what happens when taking pictures or video in low light situations, is […]
Everything You Need to Know about Shutter Speed and the 1/3 Stop Scale
Learning how shutter speeds, F-stops, and the ⅓ stop scale as well as things like aperture, lighting, ISO and various other elements all work together to help a cinematographer produce the perfect footage can be overwhelming to those aspiring to learn all of these important skills. At first, it may seem like there’s just too […]
What’s the Difference Between Micro Four Thirds vs Full Frame
As a cinematographer, finding the best camera for your needs is an ongoing pursuit that you’ll likely engage in several times over during your career. As you learn more, become more educated on the various equipment and abilities of each style and type of camera, and gain additional skills in capturing a mix of both […]
How Many Pixels is 5-perf 65mm Film?
Abbreviations, terminology, and the varied details regarding things like film gauges and stocks can be overwhelming for any aspiring videographer to attempt to understand. There’s so much involved, so many different things to learn, and so much to recall. Identifying the various film gauges and stocks that are utilized to capture cinema quality footage is […]
How Does the Focus Puller Know Where the Camera is Looking?
Working the film set requires a lot of stamina, flexibility, and practice no matter what role you’re in. For focus pullers, working closely by the sides of the camera operator has several benefits, but the work can be challenging at times. These individuals are responsible for manually adjusting the focus of the camera lens as […]
What is Pathos & When Does a Film Have Pathos?
Filmmaking, and especially advertising, frequently utilizes the power of emotion to compel the audience to take action. In some cases, filmmakers are able to incorporate enough persuasive rhetoric or appeal to the emotion of the audience that they are overwhelmingly compelled to take action even if doing so would go against their own personal logic […]
Full Frame vs. Crop Sensors: What’s the Big Difference?
Whether you’re an aspiring cinematographer or a seasoned veteran cameraman, choosing the right camera and equipment can really have you confused and overwhelmed. Everything about the camera matters in a different way, and all of the equipment is so incredibly versatile. Right down to the camera sensors which happen to come in various sizes and […]
Megapixels & Film: What is the Meg Pixel of 120 Film?
Comparing film resolution across digital cameras and original film style cameras is something that many aspiring cinematographers seek to understand early in their filmmaking careers. While many videographers believe that film will never compete with the incredibly high definition resolution that can be achieved with a digital camera, it’s important to understand how megapixels and […]
What is Blocking in Film?
Film blocking a scene is an important part of coordinating the actors and how they’ll work in connection with the cameras to achieve the desired look, but exactly what is blocking in film? This is a common question that many new cinematographers have when they’re just getting started on the film set. Knowing how film […]