Module 110 lessons
Foundations of Cinematography
Understanding the role, history, and language of the cinematographer
1/10 available
L-002The Role of the Director of Photography
L-003The Camera Department Hierarchy
L-004The Lighting and Grip Department
L-005The Language of Cinema: Shots as Sentences
L-006How the Eye Sees vs. How the Camera Sees
L-007The Photographic Image: Light, Lens, and Sensor
L-008The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Visible Light
L-009The Inverse Square Law
L-010Properties of Light: Quality, Direction, Color, Intensity
Module 216 lessons
Exposure and Sensitometry
Mastering the science and art of capturing the right amount of light
0/16 available
L-011What Is Exposure?
L-012The Exposure Triangle: Aperture, Shutter, Sensitivity
L-013F-Stops vs. T-Stops
L-014Shutter Angle and Shutter Speed
L-015ISO, ASA, and Exposure Index
L-016Light Meters: Incident and Reflected
L-017The Zone System for Cinematography
L-018The Waveform Monitor
L-019The Histogram
L-020False Color Monitoring
L-021IRE Levels and Skin Tone Placement
L-022Dynamic Range and Latitude
L-023ETTR: Expose to the Right
L-024Overexposure and Underexposure as Creative Tools
L-025High Key and Low Key Exposure Strategies
L-026Sensitometry: The Science of Film Response
Module 318 lessons
Lenses and Optics
The lens as the eye of the story
0/18 available
L-027How Lenses Work: Basic Optics
L-028Focal Length and Field of View
L-029Perspective and Spatial Compression
L-030Depth of Field: Theory and Control
L-031Circle of Confusion and Hyperfocal Distance
L-032Bokeh: The Quality of Out-of-Focus Areas
L-033Prime Lenses vs. Zoom Lenses
L-034Wide-Angle Lenses: Character and Application
L-035Normal Lenses: The Human Perspective
L-036Telephoto Lenses: Compression and Intimacy
L-037Anamorphic vs. Spherical Lenses
L-038Lens Breathing
L-039Vintage and Rehoused Lenses
L-040Lens Flares: Controlling and Creating
L-041Special-Purpose Lenses: Macro, Diopters, Tilt-Shift, Probe
L-042Lens Characteristics by Manufacturer
L-043Lens Testing and Selection
L-044Optical Filters: ND, Polarizers, Diffusion, and Effects
Module 416 lessons
Composition and Framing
Organizing visual elements within the frame to create meaning
0/16 available
L-045The Frame as Canvas: Aspect Ratios
L-046Rule of Thirds and the Grid
L-047The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Spiral
L-048Symmetry and Centered Composition
L-049Leading Lines and Diagonals
L-050Depth: Foreground, Midground, Background
L-051Frame Within a Frame
L-052Negative Space and Minimalism
L-053Headroom, Look Room, and Lead Room
L-054The Dutch Angle (Canted Frame)
L-055Visual Weight and Balance
L-056Eye Trace and Viewer Attention
L-057Pattern, Repetition, and Texture
L-058Scale and Proportion
L-059Color Composition
L-060Dynamic Composition: Composing for Movement
Module 519 lessons
Camera Movement
The camera as a character — movement as meaning
0/19 available
L-061Static Frame: The Power of Stillness
L-062The Pan and Tilt
L-063The Dolly Shot: Push-In and Pull-Out
L-064Tracking and Lateral Dolly Shots
L-065The Crane and Jib
L-066Steadicam: Floating Through Space
L-067Gimbal Stabilizers
L-068Handheld Camera: Immediacy and Intimacy
L-069The Whip Pan and Swish Pan
L-070The Zoom vs. the Dolly
L-071The Dolly Zoom (Vertigo Effect)
L-072Circular Tracking Shots
L-073The Slider
L-074Aerial and Drone Cinematography
L-075Car Mounts and Vehicle Cinematography
L-076Underwater Camera Movement
L-077The One-Shot (Oner) and Long Takes
L-078Motion Control and Repeatable Moves
L-079The Rack Focus as Camera Movement
Module 615 lessons
Lighting — Fundamentals
Understanding, controlling, and shaping light
1/15 available
L-080Light Sources: Natural and Artificial
L-081Types of Film Lighting Instruments
L-082Hard Light vs. Soft Light
L-084Key Light Placement and Character
L-085Fill Light and Lighting Ratios
L-086Backlight, Rim Light, and Edge Light
L-087Color Temperature: Kelvin Scale
L-088White Balance and In-Camera Color Control
L-089Gels: CTO, CTB, and Color Effects
L-090Grip Equipment: Flags, Scrims, and Nets
L-091Diffusion Materials and Techniques
L-092Bouncing Light: Reflectors and Bounce Boards
L-093Negative Fill and Subtractive Lighting
L-094Book Lighting
Module 719 lessons
Lighting — Advanced Techniques
Mastering sophisticated and specialized lighting approaches
0/19 available
L-095Motivated Lighting
L-096Practical Lighting
L-097Available Light and Natural Light Cinematography
L-098Lighting for Windows and Mixed Interiors
L-099Mixed Color Temperature Lighting
L-100Day-for-Night Cinematography
L-101Night Exterior Lighting
L-102Lighting for Skin Tones
L-103Chiaroscuro Lighting
L-104Rembrandt Lighting
L-105Butterfly (Paramount) Lighting
L-106Split Lighting
L-107Broad and Short Lighting
L-108Lighting Continuity
L-109Lighting for Green/Blue Screen and VFX
L-110Lighting Vehicle Interiors
L-111Lighting with Fire and Candlelight
L-112Moonlight and Ambient Night Effects
L-113Dimmers, Flicker Boxes, and Lightning Effects
Module 813 lessons
Shot Types and Cinematic Grammar
The vocabulary of visual storytelling
0/13 available
L-114The Establishing Shot and Extreme Wide Shot
L-115The Wide Shot (Full Shot)
L-116The Medium Shot and Medium Close-Up
L-117The Close-Up
L-118The Extreme Close-Up and Insert Shot
L-119The Two-Shot, Over-the-Shoulder, and Single
L-120The POV Shot and Subjective Camera
L-121Shot/Reverse Shot and the 180-Degree Rule
L-122Eyeline Match and Screen Direction
L-123The Master Shot and Coverage
L-124The Cutaway and Reaction Shot
L-125High Angle, Low Angle, and Eye Level
L-126The Reveal Shot
Module 912 lessons
Color Science and Color Pipeline
Understanding color from capture to delivery
0/12 available
L-127The Physics of Color: Additive and Subtractive
L-128Color Spaces: Rec. 709, DCI-P3, Rec. 2020, and ACES
L-129LOG Recording and Linear vs. Logarithmic Encoding
L-130RAW Recording: Sensor Data and Maximum Flexibility
L-131LUTs: Lookup Tables Explained
L-132The Color Grading Pipeline: On-Set to Final DI
L-133Gamut and Gamut Mapping
L-134Bit Depth and Chroma Subsampling
L-135Color Temperature as a Creative Tool
L-136Color Harmony and Color Contrast
L-137Color Psychology in Cinema
L-138Color Arcs and Tonal Progression
Module 1010 lessons
Camera Systems and Digital Technology
Understanding the tools of modern and historical image capture
0/10 available
L-139Sensor Sizes: Super 16, Super 35, Full Frame, Large Format
L-140Resolution: 2K, 4K, 6K, 8K, and Beyond
L-141Frame Rates and Temporal Resolution
L-142Shutter Angle and Motion Rendering
L-143Global Shutter vs. Rolling Shutter
L-144Codecs and Compression
L-145Recording Media and Data Management
L-146Monitoring: On-Camera, Director's, and Video Village
L-147Major Camera Systems: ARRI, RED, Sony, Blackmagic, Canon, Panavision
L-148Camera Rigging and Support
Module 117 lessons
Film Stocks and Photochemical Process
The analog tradition that still informs digital practice
0/7 available
L-149How Film Works: Silver Halide Photochemistry
L-150Film Stocks: Characteristics and Selection
L-151Film Grain: Structure, Perception, and Aesthetics
L-152Halation and Photochemical Artifacts
L-153Film Processing, Printing, and Timing
L-154Film Scanning and the Digital Intermediate
L-155Digital Film Emulation
Module 1210 lessons
Visual Storytelling and Narrative Design
Using the image to tell the story beneath the story
0/10 available
L-156The Image as Subtext
L-157Visual Motifs and Recurring Imagery
L-158Light as Metaphor
L-159The Cinematographer-Director Collaboration
L-160The Cinematographer-Production Designer Collaboration
L-161The Cinematographer-Colorist Collaboration
L-162Building a Visual Language for a Film
L-163Tonal Shifts: Changing the Visual Approach Within a Film
L-164Point of View and Perspective in Visual Narrative
L-165Visual Rhythm and Pacing
Module 138 lessons
Pre-Production for Cinematographers
Planning the visual approach before a single frame is captured
0/8 available
L-166Script Analysis for the Cinematographer
L-167Creating a Visual Lookbook
L-168Shot Listing and Scene Breakdown
L-169Storyboarding and Previsualization
L-170Location Scouting for Light
L-171The Tech Scout
L-172Camera and Lens Testing
L-173Building the Equipment Package
Module 148 lessons
On-Set Workflow and Production
The daily practice of professional cinematography
0/8 available
L-174Set Protocol and Communication
L-175Blocking and Staging for Camera
L-176Lighting a Set: The Process from First Light to Shooting
L-177The DIT and On-Set Color Management
L-178Focus Pulling: The Art of the 1st AC
L-179Slating, Logging, and Metadata
L-180Working with Multiple Cameras
L-181Shooting Ratio and Time Management
Module 155 lessons
Post-Production for Cinematographers
The DP's role after principal photography
0/5 available
L-182Dailies Review and Feedback
L-183The Digital Intermediate (DI) Process
L-184Color Grading: Primary and Secondary Corrections
L-185HDR Mastering and Deliverables
L-186Film-Out, DCP, and Distribution Formats
Module 169 lessons
Genre-Specific Cinematography
Adapting visual approach to narrative genre
0/9 available
L-187Cinematography for Drama
L-188Cinematography for Horror
L-189Cinematography for Film Noir and Neo-Noir
L-190Cinematography for Comedy
L-191Cinematography for Science Fiction
L-192Cinematography for Period Films
L-193Cinematography for Documentary
L-194Cinematography for Music Videos and Commercials
L-195Cinematography for Television and Episodic
Module 1710 lessons
Special Techniques and Specialty Cinematography
Advanced and niche areas of the craft
0/10 available
L-196Slow Motion and High-Speed Cinematography
L-197Time-Lapse and Hyperlapse Cinematography
L-198Macro and Close-Up Cinematography
L-199Aerial and Drone Cinematography (Advanced)
L-200Underwater Cinematography
L-201Infrared and Thermal Imaging
L-202Miniature and Forced Perspective Photography
L-203Motion Control and Multi-Pass Photography
L-204Virtual Production and LED Volume Stages
L-205Shooting for VFX: Plates, Elements, and Data
Module 1810 lessons
History of Cinematography
The evolution of visual storytelling in motion pictures
0/10 available
L-206The Birth of Cinema: Lumiere, Melies, and Early Experiments
L-207Silent Era Innovations: Bitzer, Freund, and Film Grammar
L-208German Expressionism: Light, Shadow, and Psychology
L-209Golden Age Hollywood: The Studio System and Glamour Lighting
L-210Film Noir: Painting with Shadows
L-211Italian Neorealism: Light, Truth, and the Street
L-212French New Wave: Breaking Rules with Light and Movement
L-213New Hollywood: The Cinematographer as Author
L-214The Digital Revolution: From Video Assist to Digital Acquisition
L-215Contemporary Masters and Their Visual Signatures
Module 195 lessons
The Business and Career of Cinematography
Building and sustaining a professional life behind the camera
0/5 available
L-216Building a Cinematography Reel
L-217The Path from AC to Operator to DP
L-218Developing a Personal Visual Style
L-219Navigating the Industry: Agents, Guilds, and Unions
L-220Diversity and Inclusion in Cinematography
Module 2010 lessons
Case Studies and Analysis
Learning from the masters through deep examination of their work
0/10 available
L-221Case Study: Gordon Willis — The Godfather Trilogy
L-222Case Study: Vittorio Storaro — Apocalypse Now
L-223Case Study: Roger Deakins — Blade Runner 2049
L-224Case Study: Emmanuel Lubezki — The Revenant
L-225Case Study: Janusz Kaminski — Schindler's List
L-226Case Study: Robert Richardson — Kill Bill
L-227Case Study: Bradford Young — Arrival
L-228Case Study: Hoyte van Hoytema — Dunkirk and Oppenheimer
L-229Case Study: Rachel Morrison — Mudbound
L-230Case Study: Greig Fraser — Dune