The importance of angles, lighting & setting
Filmmaking is an art form. It requires time, patience, and the necessary creativity to set the perfect scene.
If you think back to your favourite movie, book, or play, odds are you can recall at least one scene that resonated with you. To create these moments, filmmakers need to captivate their audience right away, and they often do so using the following tools.
1. Setting
The setting is arguably the most crucial cinematographic element. It has to be free of audio and visual distractions, but at times this isn't possible for filmmakers to accomplish. Fortunately, there are ways to work around this.
For example, filmmakers often use multiple settings to create individual scenes, meanwhile, viewers are unaware of any setting alterations. For instance, let's say you wanted to film a suspenseful scene outside a bank, but when your crew arrives you realize it's too loud with traffic noise to create a suspenseful mood.
To work around this, you might have a wide angle shot of your main characters approaching the bank to open your scene, and then cut to a medium shot of the bank sign above the door. Afterwards, you could head to somewhere entirely different, shooting a close shot of your main characters engaged in an intense conversation. Consequently, the setting behind them could be any brick wall in the world, but viewers will assume they're outside the same bank they saw in the previous shots. Once your setting is established, filmmakers have the freedom to film anywhere they choose.
Still, camera angles can be used for so much more than deceiving audiences, a tool we'll discuss in the next section.
2. Camera Angles
Aside from setting alteration, camera angles are important because they help filmmakers frame their subjects. The three main shots were discussed above (i.e. long, medium and close) but there are other angles at a filmmakers disposal. Some of these include extreme close-ups to bring out a subject's emotion, while the full shot is often applied for action scenes, a strategy framing the character from head to toe as they roughly take up the entire screen.
The medium shot discussed earlier is the most common angle used by cinematographers, though camera angles and setting will only get filmmakers so far. For scenes to work, subjects and settings need to be lit correctly, a concept we will investigate in further detail.
3. Lighting
At times it can be the most time-consuming filming task, but it could also be deemed one of the most important. To ensure subjects are always lit correctly, it's important that when you alter camera angles, you shift your lights around as well. In other words, filmmakers should always light their work shot by shot.
Still, many people often wonder, why is lighting necessary in the first place? If you've ever shot without artificial light you'll understand right away; the camera lens doesn't see the world the same way our eyes do. Without proper lighting, shadows are either exaggerated or subjects are unnecessarily bright, and all professionalism is lost. So while many assume lighting is used for mood (and it certainly is) it's also necessary so films look normal to viewers.
To create this sense of normality, a technique called three-point-lighting is often applied. Consisting of the key, fill, and backlights, this strategy forms the basis of all lighting in the film industry. Essentially, the key light is the main light directed at your subject, the fill light (placed opposite the key) covers any created shadow, and the backlight is placed behind the subject, it's purpose being to separate the subject from the background and provide a three-dimensional appearance.
Regarding moods, colour temperatures (i.e. applying different coloured films over the light) are often used. Sometimes, multiple colour temperatures are used in the same scene to create a specific effect.
In summary, filmmaking is no simple task, but if you use each tool correctly, the shots will come together and the scenes you create will captivate your audience every single time.