You are composing a shot for your short film or feature and you come upon the most important question of the moment. What lens do I choose? One would think that this would be an easy choice, but there are so many nuances and variables at play. StudioBinder and Roger Deakins have taken the time to help us understand the importance of lens choice for your cinema project. Certain rules are taught in film schools that guide filmmakers in telling their stories. Screenwriters, directors, and cinematographers alike, are bound by laws both written and unwritten. You must write in a three-act structure! Coverage, coverage, coverage. A closeup always happens with a longer lens. But as we come to know during our experiences making movies, rules are made to be broken. Have a look at the StudioBinder video below. Lens choice of DoP Roger Deakins While we did mention that lens choice for cinema is fraught with nuances and variables, the beginning of your journey is a simple one. Prime or Zoom. Roger Deakins mentions that he first started with zoom lenses during his documentary years, but quickly shifted to prime lenses for narrative work. He would rather move that camera toward a subject in order to re-frame. Or even dolly in during the scene to create an emotional response that the film needs. We’ll elaborate more on this in the next section. Prime or Zoom? Image Credit: Duclos Lenses In the video, Deakins mentions using 32mm or 35mm lenses for...
Published By: CineD - Monday, 2 August, 2021