ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses key areas within cinematography, looking at the use of colour, lighting, and camerawork. The cinematographer’s choice of lighting and colour, for example, can not only affect the ‘look’ of the film as a whole but can also influence our understanding of individual scenes. Colour as with bright lighting simply gives pleasure to the audience; film literally can bring light and colour into our lives. Most often in the filming of a commercial movie, a combination of lighting positions will be used around the main subject. This will conventionally involve a key light, a fill light, and a backlight. The important point, of course, is that if the cinematographer and director as a team are ‘on top of their game’ then each permutation of possibilities will be carefully chosen in an effort to achieve a particular desired effect, whether in the creation of meaning or the generation of audience response.
