Light on the image:
the use of the camera in cinema
Unlike the photographic apparatus, cameras are used to record or transmit photographic images continuously in order to reproduce impressions of movement for cinema, television, research, remote monitoring, industrial imaging or medical or other professional or domestic applications. A film, for example, is a cinema or audiovisual work produced or reproduced on film or any other existing medium. In short, a film represents a series of scrolling images.
The camera has evolved a lot since its invention. All cameras have three parts: the first is the optical part which will allow the formation of the image. Then the mechanical part which will allow the exposure of the images. And finally the part which will allow you to record and above all keep the images, otherwise called the camera memory. Today, digital cameras are image recording devices animated which have an electronic sensor to transform light information into an electrical signal.
Cinema is often called the seventh art. A cinematographic work is the result of artistic creation, in particular through writing and then through direction. It communicates ideas to the audience and evokes emotions. Cinema is also an industry due to the importance of fixed costs, the non-rivalry of consumption, pricing methods and different distribution channels, in the same way as music or digital photography. The cinema industry is a heavy industry due to the numerous production investments but also because today we cannot talk about cinema without talking about television or even music which are components of film financing.
(Kinetograph – Reversible Camera – Catalog of cinematographic devices)
The first film camera, the Kinetograph, recorded the first motion picture film in 1890. The kinetograph is the oldest device in the history of cinema, intended for viewing photographic work to create the illusion of movement. This camera records a film that lasts longer than the cyclic rotation of an optical toy (limited to two seconds) and can reach several minutes. Made up of a single lens, this camera was used to record the first animated scenes in the history of cinema. Not all cameras were running at the same speed.
The first cameras worked with a crank, hence the expression “it turns”. However, it was difficult to achieve smooth movement with the image, giving the impression of watching a jerky movie. This is the case with the kinetograph for example.
(Retro cinema cameras)
There are many types of cameras, most of which are digital today, and their characteristics (size, image quality, sensitivity, recording media, etc.) depend on the usage needs.
In the 70s and 80s, the camera opened up to the individual. In 1983, the first video camera (camera and video recorder combined) was released by Sony Corporation. Digital cinematography has been possible since the 1990s. Today, cameras are everywhere: video surveillance, viewing people online (webcam) and even sending mini-videos (MMS on cell phone). Everyone can make their own film.
(XF605 Canon 4K Camcorder)
Images, not dialogue or music, are the essence of film and cinema. Most importantly, the director must express himself and communicate with the audience through the image. But images in films are not static most of the time. The movement in an image can be linked both to the movement of the elements that make up the scene, but also to the movement of the camera itself.
The shot is the basic unit of cinema which corresponds to what is filmed between the moment the camera is triggered and the moment the camera is stopped. During filming, we film shots. During editing, we assemble shots together to form a sequence or scene. Although many shots don't require camera movement, it's still a powerful tool for filmmakers looking to convey a message or create a specific emotion. With the camera movements, we get to the heart of the subject, we touch on the image of cinema. The frame, the composition, or even the scale of the shots are part of this.
In the camera movements we first have the sequence shot which is generally very appreciated artistically and which consists of filming a scene in a single shot without cuts. The fixed plane, as its name suggests, has no movement.
Just after comes the tracking shot which consists of moving the camera from or towards the subject; which makes it possible to obtain a modification of perspectives.
Panning is a rotational movement around a horizontal or vertical axis. And the resulting result is a panorama.
And finally the handheld camera which is carried by the camera operator, the image quite unstable but we have great freedom, ideal for action films for example.
The shooting angle is defined by the location and orientation of the camera in relation to the subject it is filming.
Framing in cinema refers to what the filmmaker captures during the shot. This corresponds to the choice of the limits of the image: camera angles, scale of shots or even organization of objects and characters in the field.
The camera used in the beginnings of cinema had limited views and was difficult to use. Today's models have become much more sophisticated and allow a much wider range of shots. We can see the improvement in the various components and the recording device.
It is rare to see a film composed entirely of static shots. Other types of camera movement are sequence shot, tracking shot, pan, and handheld camera. However, a good shot requires good movement management and good framing of the scene, a subject which will be addressed in a future article.
