Lights, Camera.... Cinematography!

"What sets us apart is our drive to have the best cinematography. We work hard to get shots that nobody else has."

            - Steve Winter

            There are hundreds of elements that go in to the creation of a film. There are the parts that we, as the audience, are aware of (i.e. the actors, a set, dialogue, music, a director, etc.), and parts that we tend to not even take notice of. One of these unseen filmmaking elements is that of cinematography. Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when filming a motion picture for the cinema.

            When the art of creating motion pictures began, the equipment was very technologically limited. The shots were rather simplistic. There were no bizarre angles or quick movements because it would've been very difficult for the cameramen to create them. They didn't have any camera-lifting equipment or the ability move the camera quickly so as to cause the audience to jump. They relied on the mood of the scenes. Directors would create spooky scenes with creative lighting and eerie costumes. In the movie Nosferatu, the director does a good job of setting the scene with dramatic lighting and the lack thereof. There is a scene where Hutter is in Count Orlok's castle and he is about to go to sleep, when he opens his bedroom door to see Orlok, the vampire, standing there. He runs back to his bed and sits under the covers as Orlok begins to entire the room with the creepiest look on his face. The lighting in the room is perfect for a horrifying atmosphere. The candlelight flickers and seems to grow increasingly brighter and more threatening as Orlok comes further and further into the room. As I had mentioned before, the costuming was also important! Orlok was dressed in the slim, form-fitting black outfit with large, broad shoulders, as well as dark and foreboding makeup that gave him the perfect evil look. These elements, as well as the music, are we make a movie horrifying.

            Today, those same tricks are used, but they are much more technologically advanced! The bone-chilling music, the sudden movements, the dark scenes, the sliver of light that beams through under the creaking door; the believable makeup and costumes; every single aspect of a shot is taken into consideration. We have almost become so desensitized to certain images that 60 years ago they would've been outrageous, but today they are the least of what truly horrifies us.

            Without careful and precise cinematography, a film loses the ability to allow its audience to dive into the story and feel as if they are actually experiencing what is being portrayed. It is such an important element in creating a movie, especially for a horror film. Cinematographic techniques create the mood and the atmosphere. Without serious thought of how every last detail should look and appear to the audience, the film would most likely be boring or pathetic seeming. Imagine if horror films all took place in broad daylight without scary costumes. It would almost be laughable.