An Exploration into Cinematography: Different styles of Cinematography that contribute to a genre and Director’s style
By: Caitlin Kelly
Tags: Film, Filmmaking, Style, Cinematography

Written By Caitlin Kelly 2020

What holds a film together besides the storylines and characters? How about the camera work that contributes to enhancing the storytelling aspect? I want to analyze the different styles of cinematography that contribute to a genre or director’s style. Cinematography is a very specific art form that can be carried out differently by each cinematographer. In this piece of writing, I aim to analyze the similarities of different cinematic sequences that contribute to a genre along with the difference between each director and cinematographer’s image. The main questions I will be answering are, “what makes that cinematography unique and what’s the difference between good cinematography and poor cinematography?”, What is behind the scenes of every shot in a movie and how can this art form help expand a story? I will additionally be evaluating a specific “style” of cinematography development, and lastly, how is cinematography a specific art form that can be used to convey a certain genre and display a director’s specific style.

Genre is established not just throughout the storyline but the underlying meaning of each individual shot. A genre can be established in many different ways throughout a film production. Shot composition, lighting, and framing of certain shots have a big impact on the final product. All of these aspects are controlled by a cinematographer. In regard to careersinfilm.com, “one of the most important choices that a Cinematographer makes for every single shot is its composition — or what will be seen in it. Composition refers to how each shot is framed and all the elements within that frame. This aspect of cinematography plays a crucial role in determining what the audience knows and when they know it.” According to filmrejects.com, “if you look at the most critically acclaimed horror movies ever — Psycho, The Shining, The Exorcist, Alien, A Nightmare on Elm Street to name a few — you’ll find several commonalities of cinematography that are geared towards recreating the onscreen experience in an audience, foremost among them the films’ voyeuristic leanings. (…) The most effective way in which horror directors and cinematographers accomplish this is through how they tell the story visually, which is often a step or two ahead of how the narrative is developing.”Horror films can perfectly represent a link between cinematography and genre. For example, would the editing and lighting from a horror film still be able to play an effect on a comedy? According to “Sentai Filmworks,” “Anime is a distinct art form, but the genre is influenced by other creative mediums in terms of its depicted subjects, cultural influence and — of course — its cinematography. Many anime series are based on manga series, but that isn’t the only other art form that impacts anime today. (…) anime studios had to get creative to adapt their stories for the screen, pulling out all the cinematographic stops to render the source material effectively.” Not only just in common cinema but animation and anime across the world, the cinematography is still a huge factor that contributes to establishing a genre. “While important in all genres of film, the composition can be especially critical in horror movies. Let’s say a young teen is walking through a supposedly abandoned house by themselves. A Cinematographer might make the decision to tightly frame the Actor so that the audience has no idea of what’s around him or what danger might be lurking until it confronts him.” (careersinfilm.com)

Diverse styles of cinematography are seen in each individual director of photography’s work. Every cinematographer’s style is unique and different in the way they can present a story. “We are telling emotional stories with the images; it’s not just making beautiful pictures. I think that is a big misconception. People think, “It’s good cinematography because it’s beautiful,” said Rodrigo Prieto. This article was written by Alessandro Tersigni, an Italian actor who attended the Oscars roundtable series and wrote this article based on the director’s input of the cinematography. (theguardian.com) The underlying meaning of shots has a big effect on the story being told not just the “pretty” frames that are displayed.

What is represented as strong and meaningful cinematic sequences is how the story can be represented in certain emotions seen in how the character is portrayed from the shots. Cinematography may be able to expand a genre and portray a story, but how do you know what “good cinematography is”? What makes a cinematographer's work “Oscar-worthy”? What is represented as strong and meaningful cinematic sequences is between how the story can be represented in certain emotions seen in how the character is portrayed from the shots? “It’s not just about making pretty pictures,” says Mandy Walker, whose CV includes Hidden Figures, Australia, and the forthcoming Mulan. “The most important part of my job is helping the director tell a story with the images of the film and camera and lighting and lenses.” Camera movement — or the choice to remain static — can also change how an audience views a film. Consider the difference it would make while shooting a car chase if the Cinematographer decided to keep the camera in a single location instead of following the action. (filmschoolrejects.com) Expanding on what certain shots mean in regard to a frame would be good to an add-in. From guardian.com, “Cinematographers are responsible for photographing films, but in practice, their job is more complex. The skill of the cinematographer, or director of photography, is to combine visual artistry with technical knowledge and a certain amount of people management. “Maybe as many as 80 people on a movie come under your direct command,” says Bill Butler, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer” Expanding on the roles and definition of cinematography would be good to add in here. According to videomaker.com, “Cinematographers know their trade well and understand both the technical and artistic processes involved. They can manage the truly collaborative task that movie making is they are not afraid to go it alone when no one else understands. The director of photography can foresee the final product in their mind and know the equipment it will take to achieve the look they want.”

To summarize my analysis of cinematography, it plays a crucial role in the development of the genre. Every cinematographer has a different approach to a film. In regards to this, they are telling a story behind each individual shot and set-up. Good cinematography is created through storytelling, without the script and the rest of the production. If a cinematographer is able to carry a film through mainly shots and lighting, that would be considered powerful cinematography. In conclusion, the cinematography is a crucial backbone in the creation of a film. It contributes to the main genre within a sequence of many ways (lighting, composition, etc.) Therefore, one of the main ways to convey a story through film is reliant on cinematography.