How to Create an Effective Shot (Cinematography Research)

The Basics of an Effective Shot

Getting a good shot in a media production is vital to creating an effective shot and giving depth to a production. For example, an establishing shot needs to be effective in conveying where the shot or segment is situated and so it needs to be effective in its portrayal of the setting. A good establishing shot will fully encapsulate as much of the face of the setting as possible, (e.g. the front entrance of a school when filming something at a school) and give the viewer an obvious visual explanation of where the production is situated without trying too hard and also without confusing the viewer.

Equipment

Naturally, an effective shot is difficult to attain with equipment which is less than capable when it comes to getting the shot. In my case, I would recommend fellow college students to use cameras such as the Canon 800D DSLR camera to get high-quality footage which looks professional and conveys capability and competence from the beginning of the production. It is recommended to also be in possession of a tripod to keep the footage level and stable, unless of course it is preferred to use the camera by-hand for a specific type of shot. When audio is involved in recording, the two most feasible and popular choices of microphone would be lapel microphones and boom microphones as they are inconspicuous and work well for filming a production which demands high-production quality.

A Good Shot in Practice

A good shot is composed by combining the elements of the image and orchestrating them together in a mutually-complementary manor. The lighting can be altered with DSLR cameras to be suited to the surroundings where the picture is being taken. White balance, contrast, and sensitivity to light must all be taken into account all while keeping the colours nicely-balanced. The mise-en-scene must be relevant to the production and with all of the above elements combined, teamed with any minor tweaks that the producer would hope to make to make the image more bespoke to them and their cinematographic production style, a good shot is almost always possible.