Cinematography

1. A cinematographer is a photographer who operates a film camera. They are a cameraman who decides what shots to take and use in the film They work alongside a director combining their own ideas of what shots to take with the director's ideas. The cinematographer also decides what lens to use, what zooms, pans etc. to use and where, what gels (if any) to use and how the lighting should be.
   
   
2. Chinatown, an American film make in 1979, is known as one of the greatest films ever made. Staring Jack Nicholson, it follows the a private detective who comes across a murder scheme whilst investigating an adultery case. It was directed by Roman Polanski, who used a hand held camera and key lights throughout the filming process. He did this because hand held cameras allowed him to get close, intimate shots that would have needed to be done in a studio environment with removable walls in order to fit all the equipment in.
   
   
3. In any form of art, colour can be used in a symbolic way, such as white representing innocence and red symbolising passion, danger and love. Films use colour for symbolism in the same way as paintings, photography and graphic design. This can be the colour gels that are used for lighting, the colour of the set or the colours the actors are dressed in. In films, the colour yellow is used to symbolise identity, and green to show knowledge. 
          In the original Godfather (1972) overhead lighting was used so you couldn't see the characters eyes (the keyhole into the soul) in some of the scenes. The lighting in these scenes had a yellow tone in order to give it brassy feel, influencing the atmosphere it created. 
          The Wizard of Oz (1939). Even though the majority of the film is filmed in colour, the opening and closing credits are filmed in black and white. The opening and closing scene when Dorothy isn't dreaming and is in Kansas also wasn't in colour. These scenes were filmed in black and white, and then coloured with a sepia tone. The reason for the Kansas scenes not being in colour is that in The Wizard of Oz book, Kansas was described as being “in shades of grey”.The yellow brick road is another key colour element of the film. Even though the inspiration for the yellow brick road is disputed, yellow symbolises joy, happiness and friendship, reflecting the journey that Dorothy, the scarecrow, tin-man and lion are about to embark on and the relationship between them.
   
   
4. “Raging Bull” is an American fighting film created in 1980. Directed by Martin Scorsese and staring Robert De Niro, it follows the life of a middleweight boxer who's relationship with his his wife is destroyed by his own rage and jealousy. The cinematographer was Michael Chapman, responsible for deciding the speed of each shot. The main fight scene in the film was shot using different speeds to build up tension towards to the final punch. This was important because this is one of the most important scenes in the film.
   
   
5. “Apocalypse now” is an award winning American film set during the Vietnam War. As well as being awarded the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture (Drama), it was also given an Academy Award for Best Picture. The cinematographer was Vittorio Storaro and won an Oscar for his work on this film. Vittorio's working philosophy as a cinematographer is that “It is our obligation to defend the audiences' rights to see the images and to hear the sounds the way we have expressed ourselves as artists,".