How can I be a better cinematographer? That’s the big question among many production enthusiasts as they try to hone their skills and improve their craft. It’s a question I constantly ask myself, which is why I have books on lighting and cinematography. One can never grow complancent with where they are professionally. When you start out, you may not have any idea what your style is, but the more you shoot, the more your style will develop. Your camera style is influenced by two major factors — 1. Practice and 2. Immulation. As you continue to shoot you will also seek out other cinematographers whose style you appreciate. Then you will ask yourself, “I wonder how he did that?” which will lead you on a quest to figure it out and perhaps adopt certain facets into your own camera work.
One of the things I really like to do when I’m shooting is to capture the little details in close-ups and extreme close-ups. And I always offset those details to one side of the frame. Sometimes the beauty of a scene is found in those details that, from a wide shot, wouldn’t be all that impressive. It could be the worn edges of an old book, a tree limb swaying in the breeze, or the wrinkled hand of an elderly person. Shooting the small details focuses your viewer’s attention on what you want them to look at. It gives you control of the scene. How many times have you watched a video where everything was shot wide or in medium shots? Not very interesting. Why? Because this is how we view life through our own eyes. When you are shooting for video, the most interesting shots are from different and unique angles. Show your viewer the world in ways they they don’t ordinarily consider. That makes for more interesting footage. Good luck as you continue to work on your own projects, and keep shooting.
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