Cinematographers are the real deal behind filmmaking. Well, definitely one of the highly regarded processes of the entire filmmaking. Post-Production helps big time in dynamically altering the visuals if needs be. But, if the camera work is powerful enough to speak as loud about the visualization as possible, then post-production falls on the lighter side of the work pan. Editorial processes like color correction, linear or non linear editing, sound mixing, etc. are the things that are concerned with later parts of film production but cinematography is the most important process that requires most attention and creativity induced in the visualization to represent the texture and mood of the story. Legendary  movies in Hollywood like Citizen Kane, Apocalypse Now, Memento, Inception among others and Kagaz Ke Phool, Guide, Devdas, Dil Se, and the latest one Bajirao Mastani in Bollywood have given a glance of best cinematography taken place in the world of cinema. For every cinematographer it is a dream come true to create a master piece in film photography or cinematography.

Let us discuss the various techniques that prove to be excellent tips that need training to achieve that enhanced and animated visuals during the production of a film:

Remembering the Focus-

There are shots when you need some of it or just precise amount of focus. Losing the focus in the shots can prove fatal for the life of the shot, the story and the concept at large. Production houses need to hire camera persons who are aware of these little yet integral role played by Shallow depth of field while focusing. Shallow depth of field is what happens while our eye focuses on one object closest to our eyes. It widens and the subjects in the area around look a little blurred and defocused. The same mechanism applies on the camera lens while applying shallow depth of field on the shots. Citizen Kane is a classic example used innumerable times to illustrate cinematographers how the concept of focus can alter the entire approach of a scene vis. the shot.

Dramatize with Perspective-

Using different vertices and angles bring the real drama in the shots, much more than the shallow depth of field can achieve. Use of interesting perspective create better depth while also gratifying the aesthetic appeal of the shot composition.

Angularity in Shots-

In the corollary to perspectives, let us also incorporate camera angles and shots that can cause the shot to rise and fall in action. There are several basic camera shots that a cinematographer uses while filming, but creative shots are even more essential to enhance the composition. Over-the-shoulder (OTS) shots are a basic way to give perspective to an ongoing conversation where foreground and background are clearly distinguished by basing focus on the two people interacting. Giving a perspective to the subject in focus and foreground is the real success that cinematographers seek while filming. There are several other very interesting and creative shots that can be used by while shooting to reach the crescendo of creative cinematography. Several film production houses in Delhi invest heavily on state of the art facilities and equipment to achieve shots like Track Shots, Crane Shots, Dolly Shots, OTS Track-In Shots, Dutch Angles etc. 

High Contrast Lighting-

Lighting adds dimension to the composition and gives it better life in terms of comprehension. Understanding of the subjects, elements, where lighting becomes one with the elements itself. In cinema, soft, hard, diffused, reflected, fill, etc lights are used to portray varying emotions and diversity in the composition. In the 1976, Martin Scorsese directorial venture Taxi Driver, the importance of clutter enhanced as little elements of the composition comes out so well due to the use of impeccable lighting. Film Noir is a genre that is highly dependent on lighting as a source of expression. A combination of high contrast and soft lighting helps in giving that required depth in the composition as well.

Importance of Parallax-

Shaking or blurring the movement while infusing kinetic energy to increase the slow, dull pace of the framing is often improvised with the help of parallax movement while filming only. Jerking the frame, using motions like cars and automobiles or a wheels often intensifies the over-all depth of the frame and the shot. This is parallax and needs specific skills and trained hands to operate and incorporate it well in the composition.

Background Occlusion-

Making a frame interesting by adding or subtracting elements in the background is again an art that needs understanding of the over-all composition. Having a lit lamp in the corner of a long ended background not only lights the background but also gives an allusion of depth that immediately increases the versatility of the frame and gives a pleasant aesthetic appeal.

Production houses, before production begins for both big or small films, need to know if their camera person has all the skills to create a magical piece of art through his camera for delivering a piece of art.