Lesson 1
The cinematographic work behind the guests in this category is undoubtedly outstanding. The Queen Gambit cinematographer, Steven Meizler. In the company of The Wheel of Time, cinematographer David Moxness and the talented Jessica Lee Gagne from Severance are the topline experts for this lesson in “Cinematography.”
Questions Asked:
- How has the industry changed during the pandemic?
- What are the challenges of working as a cinematographer for streaming vs feature filmmaking?
- What did you learn from working with Steven Spielberg and others?
- How important is it to have a diverse experience with different cameras?
- What is the relationship between you and what is in front of the camera?
- What is the dynamic between what is real and what is edited? Would you ever want to be a director?
- When you got the Wheel of Time script what caught your attention?
- What are the opportunities for the new generation?
By watching or listening to these episodes, students will be able to:
- Recognize and utilize the basic terms, equipment, and production techniques used in the field of cinematography.
- Use basic message design techniques in creating artistic compositions.
- Understand and identify the elementary work responsibilities of a cinematographer.
- Understand and identify the aspect of the working relationship between cinematographers and directors.
- Learn the importance of work collaboration between the cinematographer and other crew members.
- Learn and identify some camera shots, camera movements, and angles.
Create an Assignment
Use the information presented by the experts in these episodes to have an open discussion on: what the job of a cinematographer is and the importance of this job for the success of the final product. Divide the class into groups of three students and give each student the following roles: Director, Cinematographer, and Production Designer. Each group has to produce a one-minute video using their phones. In creating this video, each member will play a role (Director, Production Designer) and have to communicate to the “Cinematographer” the artistic direction they want to accomplish with each specific shot. Evaluate this assignment by not only how well-produced the video was but also how good the communication and professionalism between the team members were.
