Camerawork Prep

Depth of field:

• Distance between the nearest and furthest objects that are in focus.
• Subject in focus and the background is blurred - directs attention of viewer.
• Deep focus works better for wide shots when you want to keep everything in focus.
• To control depth of field, adjust the aperture - f-stop value - low f-stop value means a wider aperture and a shallower depth of field, high f-stop value means a smaller aperture and a deeper depth of field.

Composition & Framing:

• Composition = how elements are arranged on screen.
• Framing of your shot and filling the frame within that shot to make it visually interesting.
• Simplicity - don't make shots too busy and complex.
• Balance - be aware of weight of each frame.

Rule of thirds:

• Composition rule of thirds:

Focus on:

• Foreground
• Background
• Spacing
• Symmetry
• Can emphasise mood

• Subjects placed on vertical lines.
• Background placed on horizontal lines.
• Appealing look to the shot, point of interest easy to follow, and balances shot.

Head Room & Lead Room:

• Head Room = distance between top of your frame and top of your subjects head.
• Lead Room = camera following a moving subject - panning.

180 degree rule:

• Where you position the camera on set.
• Establish where characters are on the screen.
• Invisible line drawn between these two characters.
• Angle reverse-angle sequence - camera staying at one side of the two characters - characters facing each other and looking at each other's eye line.
• If we cross the line and place the camera at the other side of the characters, they end up facing in the same direction.

Exposure & Focus:

• To control exposure, change ISO setting.
• Picture may be overexposed in bright daylight at the lowest ISO when the aperture is wide open - reduce aperture to maintain proper exposure.