 Cinematographer= also known as Director of Photography (DP)  Responsible for artistic and technical decisions related to images captured on screen  In charge of camera crews, lighting crews, etc.

 Every shot the cinematographer makes must be designed with the goals of cinematic composition in mind.  Especially attendant to the Mise-en-Scene! Sunset Boulevard - Billy Wilder (1950)

 Goal 1: Directing attention to the object of greatest significance Road to Perdition – Sam Mendes (2002) American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Skyfall

 Goal 2: Keeping the image in constant motion Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Stephen Spielberg (2008)

 Goal 3: Creating an illusion of depth Hugo – Martin Scorsese (2011) Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed, Shutter Island, Gangs of New York…

 Normally the eye is directed toward larger and closer objects rather than smaller and distant objects.  Foreground= closer to the camera, thus larger  Background= further from the camera, thus smaller

 The eye is drawn to what it can see best  Sharp Focus= image that is clear  Soft Focus= image that is blurry Pan’s Labyrinth (2006 – Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy)

 May overrule foreground/background rule

 Objects in motion draw the eye  A moving object can divert our attention from a static one  Constant movement in the background may not divert our attention from the still but more important objects in the foreground Chariots of Fire (1981 – Hugh Hudson)

Objects featured in extreme close-up give the audience nothing else to see!

 There are no specific positioning formulas, but a director will arrange people and objects in relation to each other.  Possibilities:  Symmetry  Pyramid  Balance

Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Stanley Kubrick 2001, Dr. Strangelove, Full Metal Jacket, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange

Reservoir Dogs (1992– Quentin Tarrantino)

The Hunger Games (2012) (Gary Ross) Seabiscuit, Pleasantville

 Think of a picture frame.  Draws attention to the object of greatest significance, the object being framed  May add symbolism

 Used for focus, symbolism, emphasis, etc.  Light versus Darkness Establishes Contrast

Schindler’s List (1993 – Spielberg)

Citizen Kane