Cinematography Fundamentals: Creating Cinematic Stories on a Budget

WELCOME TO CINEMATOGRAPHY FUNDAMENTALS: CREATING CINEMATIC STORIES ON A BUDGET

In this class, gear is not a requirement, nor is any prior filmmaking knowledge, however, if you have a filmmaking background already you will still find the material to be insightful, informative, and actionable. If you are creating on your phone, perfect. DSLR/Mirrorless? Brilliant. Cinema Camera? Fantastic. 

The material covered will allow you to become familiar with the settings, rules and fundamentals as well as common Film language, shot types, camera movement and lighting styles. Everything from easy to understand theory, to putting that in practice and how to adapt quickly on set, will be covered giving you a wide skillset to pull from next time you step behind a camera. 

No matter your background, if you are a wedding videographer, youtuber, or you too work on large film sets, you will be able to take the techniques discussed and improve your videos, films, and content creation. No screen is too small nor too large. 

Throughout this course, you will come away with the knowledge of: 

• What the common camera movements and framing types are 
• How to add depth to a frame to create visual interest 
• How to create documents like a shotlist and storyboard
• How to navigate different styles of scenes
• How to use camera movement to show emotion and feeling

This course goes in-depth with all aspects of Cinematography in a way that is palatable for any audience. From breaking down camera techniques, to how to light a scene, and even how to translate what's in your head to the screen, you will walk away confident that you can effectively create cinematic stories no matter your circumstance. 

As discussed, there are many tools and resources that can help you expand on the information talked about. These pieces have been compiled and are available below. 

RESOURCES DISCUSSED

Camera Movement Guide: 

Credit: CG Cookie

Shot Framing Guide: 

Framing Guide via Studiobinder

Shot list templates: 

My template: 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Oa7yxkTuRKw0PcvV39B2bE_G9RXozrWJELX4bVN5hmk/edit?usp=sharing

External Shotlists: 

Masterclass Basic Shotlist

StudioBinder Shotlist

Film Sourcing Advanced Shotlist

Storyboarding Resources: 

Equipment used: 

Camera: Canon Eos R - shot using C-Log 10-bit 1080p

Lenses: EF 24-105mm f4, EF 40mm f2.8

Rode VideoMicro

Zhiyun Crane 2 

Music: 

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/serenity

License code: S1PK4NEIXYRXKE0I

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/trinity/into-the-red

License code: QQYYIEDXPFJZDXO4

*Not affiliated nor sponsored by any company mentioned in the course material.*

• Introduction
• Project Brief
• What is Cinematography
• Rules & Best Practices
• Shot types and Camera Movement
• Motivated Camera
• Motivated Lighting
• Adding Depth to Your Frame
• Crafting a Shotlist
• Storyboarding
• On-Set Exterior
• On-Set Interior
• Viewing Our Film
• Conclusion
• The Final Film