Pre Production - Researching Low Budget Cinematographer Keiki-Alexandra Bailey

Keiki was actually one of the most helpful ones I found, because she goes quite in depth with some of the basic things that you need to know as a cinematographer and how mastering this things can make your film better without too much effort. Keki is an independent cinematographer and she offers her services as a freelancer to shoot films. One of the things she does a lot is tutorials and helps with some feedback from her previous shots. She has never shot with a big budget and it has always been with very low one or even none at all. Her company name is 646 Studios which is online only and it's where she posts everything she does. I will be posting some of the tips she talks about, add a bit of my thoughts and how will this affect or help my work. The idea behind these tips she gives are for aspiring Cinematographers and Camera Operators that have no access to professional cameras. rigs, or lighting and want to look boost their work to a higher standard not unlike actual film. Please note that I'd have been practicing for few years now and have studied a tons of film and television to further my knowledge.

For Tip #1 is Know your shots

There are many different shots that are used to reinforce narrative, dialogue and editing structure. There are no rules in general about where you place the camera but however, it is advised you stick to the conventions of genre unless it is an experimental piece and always have the edit in mind

Master 

Also known as the wide/establishing shot. The subject is full in frame and the location fills more space. This shot is used for exposition and keeping the audience aware of where the character is. It is usually used to book end a scene but can be used anywhere especially if the film is epic in scale.

Mid Shot 

As the name suggests, a shot where the subject is seen at mid-level. This is a good way of starting a dialogue scene and is useful if body language is involved.

Close Up

A shot for dramatic emphasis. The audience can see every twitch, shift in the eye movement and wave of emotion that the character feels.

Extreme Close Up

Great for building tension. Should be used sparingly as it narrows the audience's view of the subject and cuts off all else.

Flexi Shot

A shot that changes scale and composition through movement of the subject/camera.

Tip #2 is Negative Space

This is the fundamental difference between amateur and professional cinematography. Rarely, if ever, should you place the subject at the center of the frame. Negative space either side allows positioning of other subjects/objects and gives the image a much more artistic appearance.

Tip #3 is Forced Perspective

A technique that's stood the test of time but is now even more accessible thanks to the digital era. On a basic level, forcing perspective refers to the use of foreground/background in such a way that reinforce depth. But with the use of digital edit software, one can also now completely change the composition after it has been shot.

Tip #4 is Lighting

There are limits to what you can achieve with natural/ambient lighting. But this doesn't mean you can't achieve a great look. Choose your locations wisely and remember the rules of light and shadow. Front lighting will dim the background, back lighting will dim the foreground. Side lighting will cast varying shadows across the frame.

Tip #5 is Coverage

As mentioned earlier, the edit should always be in mind when shooting so that the shots flow together seamlessly. Shoot far more footage than needed to be sure you have options and cover all the bases. Shoot from every angle you can think of no matter how long it takes.

Tip #6 is Experiment

Have fun! Don't be afraid to place the camera in what others may think to be stupid places or locations. Mix up visual styles to keep in fresh and play with the camera settings and light to create something amazing.

All this tips are very helpful, because although the majority of them are quite simple things to keep in mind, they can make everything easier and save a lot of time. I plan on using this a lot, one by one to make sure that my shooting goes down well. First I have to make sure I know exactly what each type of shots mean, not just knowing a close up (CU) is framed really close to whatever you are shooting, but the type of things that a close up mean to the audience. We have a lot of different shots and different moods for each character during the whole episode, which is why I have to make sure I know what the shots mean in order to help the director get the emotion he wants to achieve. The second point about space is another big factor for us, because a lot of our locations that include rooms, living rooms and kitchens, are not very spaceful, which means I have to find a way around to make sure it still looks good. For this I will be working with some wide lenses and also thinking how can I rearrange some things in the room to make it look bigger or give me more space to film. The third point will help a lot to manage to get some good depth of field, with the use of the background and some light, which will help achieve more by adding more relevant elements to the drama and making my shots look more professional. The fourth one which is light is probably one of the most important ones, taking into account that in February there might not be too much light outside and might also need some extra on inside locations as well. I will be using everything I have available to get as much as light as possible, but based on another research I will be posting about light, sometimes too much light is not good. The last two points can be combined into one which is a bit of experimental coverage. Sometimes shots from weird angles are very innovative and can give the audience a different perspective of situation, but they could also be misused if you don't know exactly what you are trying to achieve which each one of your shots. In order to make this better, I will be trying same scenes from different shots and with the help of my director, I will be looking at some different ways of experimenting with angles.