Week 12 - Monday: Creating Cameras and Practicing the Art of Cinematography

It is the beginning of the final week of my major project development. With my scene completed I will be spending today creating various camera angles that will best show off my environment. In preparation for this, I have been reading up on how cinematography is practiced within film and how certain shot types are used to affect an audience.

Cinematographer Blain Brown has compiled his experience into a book that serves as an introduction to cinematography as it is practiced on a professional level. It covers the essential concept of visual storytelling which is the facet of filmmaking that I find most intriguing and something I have been trying to emulate throughout my own work. I believe the language of Cinema is one that encompasses the art of the lens, composition, visual design and lighting. I feel that by learning these languages I can apply them to the field of game design and use them to help maximize every element within my game environment.

An important aspect of visual storytelling that I felt the author has highlighted is in setting the scene for the audience. Brown (2012:18) explains the importance of “establishing the geography,” whereby the cinematography gives the audience some idea of where they are, what kind of place it is and where objects and people are in relation to each other. Brown continues to explain the utility in letting the audience (or in my case the player) know the “lay of the land” within a scene. Stating that it helps them to orient themselves and prevents confusion that might divert their attention from the story. He highlights that one of the primary goals of the cinematography is to not confuse the audience, and this was a big reason why I was so eager to create an exterior alongside interior environments. I felt that it was important to establish the location and climate so that the player could project themselves seamlessly into the environment and believe it.

I am going to be paying close attention to the language of cinema as I choose my camera angles. This will be especially important as I create my promotional video for my environment. I am aiming to create a certain mood and this will require the camera movement and angles to reflect this.

BROWN, B. (2012) Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors., 2nd ed. New York: Focal Press.