This week’s reading on Chapter 5, “The Shot: Cinematography”, which is actually an exciting part for me since creative and effective cinematography can always shock me a lot and make me marvel at the powerful role of cinematography in shaping a film’s narrative and emotional expression. The reading emphasizes how the camera is not just a recording device but a creative instrument that shapes meaning.
I believe that this chapter mainly focuses on four elements of cinematography:
· Photographic qualities: such as tonality, contrast, and exposure.
· Depth of field and focus: which guide the audience’s attention through selective focus, deep focus, or rack focus.
· Framing: such as camera distance, angle, and aspect ratio, which determine how space is perceived.
· Camera movement: from pans and tilts to tracking shots and long takes, which create rhythm and continuity.
Then, I’ d love to share some cinematography that I appreciate a lot, and I hope these examples can better explain the power of cinematography.
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For example, in Life of Pi, the shots of the glowing ocean at night left a deep impression on me. (I watched this film when I was in elementary school, but it is still the top 3 movies in my hurt, and will always recommend to my friends watch it!) The strong contrast between the bright bioluminescence and the dark sky creates this dreamlike, almost spiritual mood. The framing often puts Pi small against the endless sea, making his struggle feel even more overwhelming.
In The Shawshank Redemption, I always think of the moment when Andy escapes and raises his arms to the sky in the rain. The low camera angle looking up, combined with the crane movement that slowly lifts, makes us share his feeling of freedom. It’s simple, but so powerful.
In The Wolf of Wall Street, the cinematography almost becomes part of the chaos itself. The restless tracking shots and sudden zooms mirror Belfort’s manic lifestyle, while the rapid cuts in the office scenes—where dozens of brokers shout into phones at once – intensify the sense of frenzy. Together, these choices capture not only the dizzying speed of the financial world but also its obsessive, almost pathological hunger for money.
All of these examples made me realize just how much cinematography directs our attention and emotions. It doesn’t just record the story—it tells the story. And honestly, it makes me marvel at the powerful role cinematography plays in shaping both plot and emotion.
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