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Cinematography Terms
Accessories, especially camera gear. An abbreviation used to refer to a miscellaneous collection of tools or equipment. Stands for “all kinds of stuff” or “all kinds of s**
The diameter of the entrance pupil of the lens, and is measures in mm.
Circle of Confusion (Cc) characterizes the degree of acceptable focus. The smaller the circle of confusion is the higher the resulting image sharpness.
Technically it is an optical spot caused by a cone of light rays from a lens not coming to a perfect focus when imaging a point source. It is also known as disk of confusion, circle of indistinctness, blur circle, or blur spot.
Depth of field determines the range in front of and behind a designated focusing distance, where an object still appears to be in acceptable focus.
This is a range, whereas hyperfocal distance is one number.
A number of factors affect the depth of field. The focal length or zoom setting of your lens is one. A wide-angle setting will give more depth of field, while a telephoto setting will give less. The lens aperture is a factor, too. Wide lens apertures give shallow depth of field, while small apertures give more depth of field.
A lot depends on where you focus. If your subject is right up close to the camera, the depth of field will be quite shallow, but if it’s further away, the depth of field increases.
Depth of focus is the range of distance between the lens and the film plane where acceptable focus is maintained. The range is quite small, like as thousandths of an inch.
When you talk about depth of focus, you are referring to the range of distance that your lens can be adjusted (either forward or backward) without ever affecting the focus of or on an object or subject.
Diopter (dioptre in the UK) is a unit of measurement, and the name of a lens-attachment used for close up shots.
Diopters are positive supplementary lenses. In the most basic sense, this means they’re glorified magnifying glasses. They are positioned in front of an existing lens, allowing that lens to focus on objects that are closer than its normal minimum-focusing distance. Diopters can screw into the lens’ front threads, clamp onto the lens barrel, or fit into a filter tray in a matte box. The glass element is usually a simple meniscus (curved) lens, but in some cases can be two lens elements glued together.
The “f-stop” is the ratio of the focal length and the aperture diameter: f-stop = focal length / aperture diameter.
Hyperfocal distance (H) is the focus distance setting of a lens where all objects from half the focus distance setting through infinity are in acceptable focus. Acceptable focus is characterized by a parameter called the circle of confusion (Cc).
The sensitivity of the sensor to light. As numbers go higher the exposure gets higher, and the image gets brighter. An improperly set ISO leads to unwanted digital noise. Always check your cameras native ISO, anything above that will likely introduce noise.
Abbreviation for bad gear. “No f****ing Good!” You’ll find this written on broken gear, often with red tape.
The term “shutter angle” is used to describe the shutter speed that is relative to the frame rate. Shutter angle is generally used for rotary shutters where a disc containing the angled opening spins and lets in light once per revolution to expose every frame. The shutter speed is lower when the angle is larger. The larger the angle, the slower the shutter speed, all the way up to the limit of 360,° which is the point where the shutter speed becomes as slow as the frame rate.
The primary difference between shutter speed and shutter angle is how they are both measured. Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second. Shutter speed measures how fast the shutter moves. For example, if the shutter exposes the film for 1/60th of a second, then it means it has 1/60 shutter speed. Slow shutter speeds allow more light but if the subject is moving, then the image is produced with motion blur. On the other hand, faster shutter speeds allow less light but they are effective when it comes to freezing motion.
Shutter angle is measured in degrees. When you measure shutter angle, you are measuring the part of the rotary disc that is exposing the film to the light. A shutter angle is considered “normal” if it is 180 degrees. At this angle, the shutter speed is half the frame rate. For a film shot at 24 fps, the standard shutter angle is 180 degrees.
How long the sensor is exposed to light (measured in fraction of a second. As numbers go HIGHER the shutter speed gets faster, the exposure gets lower and the image gets darker.
For the most part, you will want to choose a shutter speed on your camera that is twice the frame rate (technically, it’s the denominator that is twice. So if you’re shooting at 24 fps, ideally you want to shoot at 1/48, or just 48 on your settings). This is called shooting at a 180-degree shutter angle. Suffice to say that you do this in order to achieve a “normal” motion blur. Shoot at a shutter angle above or below that, and you can get a weird look. Shoot at a higher angle and you get that staccato look (made famous in that glorious opening of “Saving Private Ryan”). Shoot at a lower angle, you get a more dreamy look.
T-stop is the combination of both the f-stop and the light transmittance value of a lens.
A T-stop is a little trickier to measure since it is how much light, having passed through the aperture and through the elements in the lens, actually gets to your sensor. You do lose some light along the way.
If a lens lost no light passing through it, the f- and T-stops would be equal, but as no lens passes light through it without loss, the f- and T-stops for lenses are not the same.
The rule according the ASC’s handbook is: use f-stop for computing depth of field, and use T-stop for setting exposure.
The Best Boy Electric (BBE) is the gaffer’s chief lieutenant, the second-in-command. They’re often responsible for delegating day-to-day managerial tasks- like hiring personnel and maintaining equipment- and are generally less directly involved in major creative decisions within the lighting plan.
While the traditional “Best Boy” title is still most typically used, the alternative film crew positions of “Best Girl” and “Best Person” are gaining popularity and may very well be encountered on your next call sheet.
While filming, the camera operator is the person who physically controls and moves the camera. They work with the director of photography to ensure each shot meets the director’s vision. Stand-Ins work closely with the director of photography, camera operator, and assistant cameras. If you’re booked as a Stand-In, it’s a good idea to get to know the camera crew on set.
First assistant cameras (1st AC or focus puller) are responsible for maintaining and pulling focus while filming a scene. They also put together the camera at the beginning of the day and take it apart when filming has finished.
The second assistant camera (2nd AC) labels and operates the clapper/slate for every take. When shooting on film, it’s their job to load and unload the film in the camera. They also maintain the records and paperwork of the camera crew.
The director of photography (also known as DP or cinematographer) works with the director to design each shot and makes decisions on what lens, filter, and lighting to use to achieve the desired look of the project. They are responsible for both the artistic and technical details involved when filming. The DP is often the second most senior member of a production crew behind the director and oversees the camera and lighting crews.
First assistant cameras (1st AC or focus puller) are responsible for maintaining and pulling focus while filming a scene. They also put together the camera at the beginning of the day and take it apart when filming has finished.
The 1st AC is the chief assistant to the camera operator. The 1st assistant camera person is in charge of measuring and pulling focus during filming. The 1st AC also threads the film through the camera when a new magazine is loaded. This person also helps setup and build the camera, as well as maintain and clean the camera and lenses.
The gaffer is the lead technician of a production crew and is responsible for all the lighting set-ups for filming. While the director of photography is in charge of creating the project’s overall aesthetic, the gaffer finds a way to make their vision a reality.
The Gaffer is a production’s chief lighting technician and head of the electric department. They plan and coordinate the placement and powering of lights to achieve the level of illumination desired by the director of photography.
The grips are the lighting and rigging technicians. They function as a cross between a mechanic and a construction worker on the set. A grip’s job responsibilities include: working closely with the camera department especially if the camera is mounted onto a dolly or crane; work closely with the electrical department to put in lighting set ups necessary for a shot. Grips do not actually work on the lighting (they are not technically electricians) but handle all other necessary equipment; responsible for all “rigging” on the set including lighting equipment rigged over actors and crew, working with pulleys, steel cables; responsible for all safety on the set as it relates to the equipment they work with.
The second assistant camera (2nd AC) labels and operates the clapper/slate for every take. When shooting on film, it’s their job to load and unload the film in the camera. They also maintain the records and paperwork of the camera crew.