Have you ever wondered if you could tell a poetic story through a video? Or portray a sporty plot through 24 frames per second? Then it is obvious that you are a fan of cinematography!
โCinematography, the art and technology of motion-picture photography. It involves such techniques as the general composition of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice of cameras, lenses, filters, and film stock; the camera angle and movements; and the integration of any special effects.โ – Britannica.
Before the smartphone revolution, the concept and prism of cinematography was only limited to the cinematic universes & people with huge cameras! But now- times have changed and new pages have been unfold. Now everyone carries a smartphone. And recent smartphones are built highly focused on the arena of providing the capabilities of good cameras. It is a huge competition between the tech giants at present to craft the best possible camera setup through wise choices of lens combinations. What requires expensive lenses of different apertures for dslrs has now been optimized to a mini device on your hand. This is a revolution.
If you have the passion, the integrity and love to dive into the world of cinematography, this is a heck of a chance to do right that. Mobilephones are the future of cinematography. Period.
It’s always about the skills, not the equipments. To get to work, you don’t need any extravagant gimbals (special devices used to reduce oscillation of the recording device to gain stable footage). Your two partners- your hands are enough. Here are a few tokens of advise for you to acquire cinematic shots by using a phone:
1. Work on your grip of the phone. Use both of your hands. It goes without saying that, most people forget to hold the phone tightly which results in shaky footage. Using a tripod/gimbal can help too! In cinematography, chaotic clips with shakiness are a no no. So work on that first mate!
2. Analyze your surroundings. Develop a story. Try to illustrate a story to the audience bit by bit. You can do this by either revealing the full field on the first shot- or by cultivating the imagination through close up to wider shots. You can create suspense by not disclosing some shots whole. In this way, the audience will be invested into the cinematic more immersively.
3. Give your best on practising framing. It is one of the key factors to consider to make the audience left mesmerized. Grids, golden ratios, experience and nearby objects all help in weaving the perfect frames for your mobile phone to capture easily! All you need to do is to sprinkle some creativity!
4. Following an order, a script and plan. It is really essential to weave the most touching story.
5. Infusing knowledge from professionals and watching their content. Here are a few suggestions for you to follow: Peter Mckinnon, Sam Kolder, Ben TK, Daniel Schiffer, Jubaer Talukder etc. on youtube.
Cinematography is all about moments, memories, narratives and building up new chronicles. And using your smartphone to film and indulge in this art is nothing but a better opportunity to flourish those moments through different colours and ambiences.
By:Name: Saeed Ahmad
Class : 10
Institution : Chattogram Cantonment English School & College
