As someone who consumes digital media daily, I thoroughly enjoyed this unit. Not only did it allow me to showcase some of my video graphic creativity, but the assignments also challenged me to incorporate principles of cinematography into my creations. Reflecting on the technical aspect of filmmaking, concepts of character placement, one-point perspectives, and the infinite ways camera movement adds to a story resonated most with me. Roger Ebert’s article regarding reading films taught me how filmmaking is not just an art but a fully customizable exercise that takes a lot more than turning on a camera. Ebert’s article also acknowledged how despite being quite complex, cinematography is boundless and there is no “right” or “wrong” approach to film productions.
Completing the video assignments was a tedious task. When initiating the assignments I had a detailed layout of my ideas. However, translating my ideas into film was where I struggled at times. Further, after I learned the fundamentals of cinematography, I mistakingly psyched myself out and focused too much on incorporating technical film elements into my videos, as opposed to allowing my creations to breathe and be flexible.
To combat my overthinking and eliminate self-doubt, I reinforced the idea that cinema’s theoretical sky has no limit. As a creator, the projects I am most proud of were assembled from a semi-unconscious place, with room for imperfections. Cinematographic fundamentals are undoubtedly essential to understand when filmmaking. Also, the variability of these factors can drastically alter a scene and its interpretation. However, in the words of the late great Roger Ebert, “No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough; Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.”
