7 Easy Ways to Improve Your Cinematography
Try out these 7 tips and tricks to expand your skill set and improve as a cinematographer.
Cover image via Shutterstock.
Like any artist, a good cinematographer must constantly look for ways to hone his or her craft. While it’s easy to say “practice, practice, practice,” it’s harder to find creative and pragmatic ways to expand your knowledge base, day in and day out.
Let’s explore seven tips and tricks that can help you become a better cinematographer.
Take Up Photography
Image via Shutterstock.
It’s simple and it’s true: cinematography shares many of its principles with photography. However, you could argue that the stakes are higher in photography as a single frame must maximize all of its elements to convey a feeling and tell a story. Camera settings like exposure, color temperature, and depth of field are as important as framing concepts like the rule of thirds; focus; and foreground, middleground, and background.
Here are some resources on how to improve your cinematography with photography (and vice versa).
- Find Cinematic Inspiration with These Visionary Photographers
- Three Ways Cinematography Can Improve Your Photography
- Translating Your Photography Skills to Cinematography
- Cinematography and Photography Concepts Simplified
Use Instagram
Image via Shutterstock.
Like it or not, Instagram is not only a cultural phenomenon for sharing food pics, it’s also a powerful tool for aspiring cinematographers. Depending on how much you want to utilize its potential, Instagram can be a great means to try new perspectives and develop an understanding of what makes certain images stand out. With its in-depth editing options covering everything from contrast to pulling out colors in highlights and shadows, it’s a great program to keep you constantly trying new things.
- 8 Cinematographers to Follow on Instagram
- How Instagram Can Help Cinematographers!
- Ryan Booth on Career, Life and Instagram
Practice Storyboarding
Image via Shutterstock.
While it may not be the most glamorous part of the profession, storyboarding is often a major part of a cinematographer’s job. A good cinematographer must often painstakingly storyboard every shot throughout an entire film — often by hand. If you’re a forward-looking individual, check out some of the many online and app options to streamline storyboarding. But make sure you’re ready to dive in deep, as storyboarding is where a true cinematographer can shine.
- Free Storyboard Template for Film and Video Projects
- The Unifying Power of Storyboards
- Workflow Tip: Storyboard Your Animations in Adobe Illustrator
Try Different Cameras and Lenses
Image via Shutterstock.
A good director of photography needs not only a comprehensive understanding of cinematography but also an astute knowledge of camera technology. Finding ways to shoot on different cameras — either by renting, borrowing, or buying — is a great way to expand your camera repertoire. When you do try different cameras, try to understand each camera’s strengths and weaknesses for your specific cinematography style.
Use Different Aspect Ratios
Image via Shutterstock.
Another way to get a cinematographer out of his or her comfort zone (which is important for growth), is to practice shooting in different aspect ratios. A good cinematographer should have a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to shoot in everything from a 1:1 box to 2.35:1 cinemascope. A DP will have a major say in what aspect ratio is right for a project and will make their selections and recommendations based on what the story dictates.
- Using Aspect Ratios Like a Pro: Why Choose One Ratio Over Another?
- Movie Making Manual/Cinematography/Aspect ratios
- 352 Free Letterbox Templates for Video Editing (8K, 4K, HD & More)
Learn to Color Grade
Image via Shutterstock.
As film crews are continuing to shrink and roles continuing to merge, a good cinematographer in today’s multifaceted environment needs a good understanding of color grading — if not how to double in that role altogether. If you think about it, it really makes sense for a DP to know how an image is going to color in post and how to shoot intentionally to prepare for those results.
Watch Tutorials
Image via Awesome Cinematography Tutorial: The Flip Shot.
We truly live in a golden age of information as pretty much anything you want to learn, you can learn online by watching videos. Filmmaking may be one of the great examples of the democratization of knowledge, as there are an endless number of videos that can explain everything from cinematography basics to camera breakdowns to a litany of concepts, tips, and tricks.
- 6 Filmmaking Tutorials for Cinematographers
- Cinematography Tutorials Will Help You Put Some Brains Behind Your Cinematic Choices
- 20 Lighting Tutorials for Film and Video
You can also keep developing your cinematography by subscribing to channels like PremiumBeat’s YouTube channel or keeping tabs on our archives here.
What are your tips and tricks for improving at cinematography? Let us know in the comments.