The Five C

Boy, this is gonna sound like an after midnight infomercial but here goes...
Do you have no money to attend a prestigious film school for cinematography?
Do you consider all filmmakers to be "touched by God" to be talented?
Have you always wondered how to truly shoot a scene, a music video, a film but d
idn't know where to start?
If you answered YES to all three questions the answer is: GET THIS BOOK. I kid y
ou not.
I read a lot of cinema books, especially on film theory and on cinematography th
ey're essentially the only thing you need, and don't let 'em ever tell you that
you NEED film school. I fell into that trap for a long time, a mind trap. Thinki
ng I needed film school to "KNOW" or "grasp" how to make any kind of cinematic a
rt. It's all BS and I'll tell you why. Sure, you can blow off a 100K+ on a film
school where you WILL indeed learn from the masters - and that's something you h
ave to decide for yourself if that's the path you want to take. You'll make conn
ections and gain a networking of peers, though it doesn't always mean you'll get
a "job" anywhere - whether it's a professional set or a TV station. The reason
is that a BODY OF WORK is what matters. The sooner you can create it, the better
your chances are at being noticed and taken seriously anywhere.
This book - is FILLED with information that essentially breaks down CINEMATOGRAP
HY to its fundamentals.
Think of cinematography as a LANGUAGE. Afterall, it is a language - cinematic la
nguage. One must know the alphabet and understand the syntax of any language in
order to properly speak it. Cinematography is NO DIFFERENT than learning a new l
anguage. It's only a 100 years old and it has an alphabet and a syntax which is
LEARNABLE to anyone seriously considering learning it.
I'll give you an example of one of my favorite passages out of the book right no
w.
"The camera angle chosen for each shot is determined by how the players and the
action should be depicted at that particular moment in the narrative. Simple pro
gression from long shot to close up may not always provide the most suitable typ
e of sequence. For instance, subject matter or dramatic content of the story may
require that the camera first record a close-up, in order to isolate, emphasize
, or introduce a small object. An extreme long shot may be required to portray s
cope, grandeur, complexity; so that the audience fully appreciates the vastness,
beauty, or conflict involved in the story. The over-all action of each sequence
should be broken down before shooting and the type of shot required for each po
rtion or the action determined in advance.
Establish the setting with a long shot, or extreme long shot - if vast in nature
. Move into a medium shot to introduce the players as a group, and use close-ups
for individual screen filling shots of each. Employ long shots to show the play
ers in relation to the background, and to allow them space to move from one plac
e to another, as the action progresses. Use medium shots, particularly two-shots
, to show important inter-action between players. Utilize close-ups to emphasize
a particular action, or to isolate a player or action by removing all else from
view. Use extreme close-ups for full-screen shots of very small objects or acti
ons. Progress inward as the action develops. Move back to re-establish the over-
all scene, to depict new developments, to introduce a new player or allow the pl
ayers to move about. As example, contrast an extreme long shot of a missile laun
ching with an extreme close-up of the firing button! Think in terms of dramatic
impact on audience as well as visual variety."
Now, if that isn't basic fundamental cinematography well summarized in two parag
raphs, then I don't know what to say. And that is only a paragraph out of some 2
44 page book. Mascelli goes in depth throughout EACH aspect of cinematography, e
ssentially breaking down why everything works the way it does and when to use it
. Now sure, if you have no patience to even read this attentively, move on to so
mething else - but if you dedicate the time and the effort to read everything at
tentively, take notes, underline, re-read passages, and truly grasp what's being
said - you've already taken a huge step in understanding this craft. All it tak
es now is to go out and practice it. What's also great is that in reading this b
ook you can read each section and just go out and practice filming those given t
hings.
It's about sharpening the eye, and it's about understanding that it's NOT TALENT
, it's LEARNING this craft like anything else in life. Ridley Scott directed ove
r 2000+ commercials in 15 years and he said it's about sharpening that eye. I'm
also reminded of a quote by Christopher Doyle from FilmCraft: Cinematography. He
said, "I am an anti-intellectual about the process because I think once you sta
rt intellectualizing, you scare the kids away from making their own mistakes. It
also implies that we are above everyone else. I despise the hierarchy and sense
of privilege, and the implication that it takes so much research and effort and
correct knowledge to be what we are. I disagree. I happened into what I am doin
g. I am not an art student. Apparently I am partly color blind. I was never an a
ssistant. Someone just gave me a camera and I am here."
Boy, this is gonna sound like an after midnight infomercial but here goes...
Do you have no money to attend a prestigious film school for cinematography?
Do you consider all filmmakers to be "touched by God" to be talented?
Have you always wondered how to truly shoot a scene, a music video, a film but d
idn't know where to start?
If you answered YES to all three questions the answer is: GET THIS BOOK. I kid y
ou not.
I read a lot of cinema books, especially on film theory and on cinematography th
ey're essentially the only thing you need, and don't let 'em ever tell you that
you NEED film school. I fell into that trap for a long time, a mind trap. Thinki
ng I needed film school to "KNOW" or "grasp" how to make any kind of cinematic a
rt. It's all BS and I'll tell you why. Sure, you can blow off a 100K+ on a film
school where you WILL indeed learn from the masters - and that's something you h
ave to decide for yourself if that's the path you want to take. You'll make conn
ections and gain a networking of peers, though it doesn't always mean you'll get
a "job" anywhere - whether it's a professional set or a TV station. The reason
is that a BODY OF WORK is what matters. The sooner you can create it, the better
your chances are at being noticed and taken seriously anywhere.
This book - is FILLED with information that essentially breaks down CINEMATOGRAP
HY to its fundamentals.
Think of cinematography as a LANGUAGE. Afterall, it is a language - cinematic la
nguage. One must know the alphabet and understand the syntax of any language in
order to properly speak it. Cinematography is NO DIFFERENT than learning a new l
anguage. It's only a 100 years old and it has an alphabet and a syntax which is
LEARNABLE to anyone seriously considering learning it.
I'll give you an example of one of my favorite passages out of the book right no
w.
"The camera angle chosen for each shot is determined by how the players and the
action should be depicted at that particular moment in the narrative. Simple pro
gression from long shot to close up may not always provide the most suitable typ
e of sequence. For instance, subject matter or dramatic content of the story may
require that the camera first record a close-up, in order to isolate, emphasize
, or introduce a small object. An extreme long shot may be required to portray s
cope, grandeur, complexity; so that the audience fully appreciates the vastness,
beauty, or conflict involved in the story. The over-all action of each sequence
should be broken down before shooting and the type of shot required for each po
rtion or the action determined in advance.
Establish the setting with a long shot, or extreme long shot - if vast in nature
. Move into a medium shot to introduce the players as a group, and use close-ups
for individual screen filling shots of each. Employ long shots to show the play
ers in relation to the background, and to allow them space to move from one plac
e to another, as the action progresses. Use medium shots, particularly two-shots
, to show important inter-action between players. Utilize close-ups to emphasize
a particular action, or to isolate a player or action by removing all else from
view. Use extreme close-ups for full-screen shots of very small objects or acti
ons. Progress inward as the action develops. Move back to re-establish the over-
all scene, to depict new developments, to introduce a new player or allow the pl
ayers to move about. As example, contrast an extreme long shot of a missile laun
ching with an extreme close-up of the firing button! Think in terms of dramatic
impact on audience as well as visual variety."
Now, if that isn't basic fundamental cinematography well summarized in two parag
raphs, then I don't know what to say. And that is only a paragraph out of some 2
44 page book. Mascelli goes in depth throughout EACH aspect of cinematography, e
ssentially breaking down why everything works the way it does and when to use it
. Now sure, if you have no patience to even read this attentively, move on to so
mething else - but if you dedicate the time and the effort to read everything at
tentively, take notes, underline, re-read passages, and truly grasp what's being
said - you've already taken a huge step in understanding this craft. All it tak
es now is to go out and practice it. What's also great is that in reading this b
ook you can read each section and just go out and practice filming those given t
hings.
It's about sharpening the eye, and it's about understanding that it's NOT TALENT
, it's LEARNING this craft like anything else in life. Ridley Scott directed ove
r 2000+ commercials in 15 years and he said it's about sharpening that eye. I'm
also reminded of a quote by Christopher Doyle from FilmCraft: Cinematography. He
said, "I am an anti-intellectual about the process because I think once you sta
rt intellectualizing, you scare the kids away from making their own mistakes. It
also implies that we are above everyone else. I despise the hierarchy and sense
of privilege, and the implication that it takes so much research and effort and
correct knowledge to be what we are. I disagree. I happened into what I am doin
g. I am not an art student. Apparently I am partly color blind. I was never an a
ssistant. Someone just gave me a camera and I am here."
Boy, this is gonna sound like an after midnight infomercial but here goes...
Do you have no money to attend a prestigious film school for cinematography?
Do you consider all filmmakers to be "touched by God" to be talented?
Have you always wondered how to truly shoot a scene, a music video, a film but d
idn't know where to start?
If you answered YES to all three questions the answer is: GET THIS BOOK. I kid y
ou not.
I read a lot of cinema books, especially on film theory and on cinematography th
ey're essentially the only thing you need, and don't let 'em ever tell you that
you NEED film school. I fell into that trap for a long time, a mind trap. Thinki
ng I needed film school to "KNOW" or "grasp" how to make any kind of cinematic a
rt. It's all BS and I'll tell you why. Sure, you can blow off a 100K+ on a film
school where you WILL indeed learn from the masters - and that's something you h
ave to decide for yourself if that's the path you want to take. You'll make conn
ections and gain a networking of peers, though it doesn't always mean you'll get
a "job" anywhere - whether it's a professional set or a TV station. The reason
is that a BODY OF WORK is what matters. The sooner you can create it, the better
your chances are at being noticed and taken seriously anywhere.
This book - is FILLED with information that essentially breaks down CINEMATOGRAP
HY to its fundamentals.
Think of cinematography as a LANGUAGE. Afterall, it is a language - cinematic la
nguage. One must know the alphabet and understand the syntax of any language in
order to properly speak it. Cinematography is NO DIFFERENT than learning a new l
anguage. It's only a 100 years old and it has an alphabet and a syntax which is
LEARNABLE to anyone seriously considering learning it.
I'll give you an example of one of my favorite passages out of the book right no
w.
"The camera angle chosen for each shot is determined by how the players and the
action should be depicted at that particular moment in the narrative. Simple pro
gression from long shot to close up may not always provide the most suitable typ
e of sequence. For instance, subject matter or dramatic content of the story may
require that the camera first record a close-up, in order to isolate, emphasize
, or introduce a small object. An extreme long shot may be required to portray s
cope, grandeur, complexity; so that the audience fully appreciates the vastness,
beauty, or conflict involved in the story. The over-all action of each sequence
should be broken down before shooting and the type of shot required for each po
rtion or the action determined in advance.
Establish the setting with a long shot, or extreme long shot - if vast in nature
. Move into a medium shot to introduce the players as a group, and use close-ups
for individual screen filling shots of each. Employ long shots to show the play
ers in relation to the background, and to allow them space to move from one plac
e to another, as the action progresses. Use medium shots, particularly two-shots
, to show important inter-action between players. Utilize close-ups to emphasize
a particular action, or to isolate a player or action by removing all else from
view. Use extreme close-ups for full-screen shots of very small objects or acti
ons. Progress inward as the action develops. Move back to re-establish the over-
all scene, to depict new developments, to introduce a new player or allow the pl
ayers to move about. As example, contrast an extreme long shot of a missile laun
ching with an extreme close-up of the firing button! Think in terms of dramatic
impact on audience as well as visual variety."
Now, if that isn't basic fundamental cinematography well summarized in two parag
raphs, then I don't know what to say. And that is only a paragraph out of some 2
44 page book. Mascelli goes in depth throughout EACH aspect of cinematography, e
ssentially breaking down why everything works the way it does and when to use it
. Now sure, if you have no patience to even read this attentively, move on to so
mething else - but if you dedicate the time and the effort to read everything at
tentively, take notes, underline, re-read passages, and truly grasp what's being
said - you've already taken a huge step in understanding this craft. All it tak
es now is to go out and practice it. What's also great is that in reading this b
ook you can read each section and just go out and practice filming those given t
hings.
It's about sharpening the eye, and it's about understanding that it's NOT TALENT
, it's LEARNING this craft like anything else in life. Ridley Scott directed ove
r 2000+ commercials in 15 years and he said it's about sharpening that eye. I'm
also reminded of a quote by Christopher Doyle from FilmCraft: Cinematography. He
said, "I am an anti-intellectual about the process because I think once you sta
rt intellectualizing, you scare the kids away from making their own mistakes. It
also implies that we are above everyone else. I despise the hierarchy and sense
of privilege, and the implication that it takes so much research and effort and
correct knowledge to be what we are. I disagree. I happened into what I am doin
g. I am not an art student. Apparently I am partly color blind. I was never an a
ssistant. Someone just gave me a camera and I am here."

The Five C