Cinematography 101: Everything You Need to Know by Ties Versteegh
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Ties shares the cinematography techniques he uses the most and why. You can learn about lighting techniques, different shots and angles, camera placement or movement, and more.
Cinematography Techniques:
Everything You Need to Know by Ties Versteegh
A collaboration with
Ties Versteegh
Cinematography Techniques 101 with DOP Ties Versteegh
Interested in Cinematography? Meet your instructor Ties Versteegh, who will go through the corners of cinematography in this Masterclass session.
Trailer
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Intro
1
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Shots & Angles
52
Opening Shots
294
Closing Shots
371
Lighting
492
Camera Focus
718
Camera Placement
753
Camera Movement
797
Filters
845
Emotions in Film
885
Creating stories
943
Gear
1070
Ending
1337
Meet Your Instructor
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What you’ll learn
Why you should never zoom when the camera is moving.
Why you should never do a focus pull in your shots.
Why should you never show something that’s asymmetric.
How to nail the Dutch angle or the American shot.
How to get the opening and closing shots right.
How to use different lighting techniques for your shots.
Why you should always tell your story in one frame.
Why you should turn down your aperture when shooting cinematic.
Masterclass Chapters
The instructor Ties Versteegh shares the different cinematography techniques he uses. He will also give some tips and tricks to facilitate your work.
Shots & angles
Ties tells us about the shots and angles. His favorite is the American shot. He also gives up some information about how he operates when shooting.
Opening Shots
Ties describes how he works with the scenery when shooting an opening shot. It is necessary to guide the audience when starting a feature film.
Closing Shots
When it comes to closing shots, Ties recommends making it big. Your main goal is to grasp the one last time audience. Catch their attention one more time before the movie or film ends.
Lighting
Ties tells us that lighting is specific for him. He describes how he works with it while giving us tips on achieving the optimal lighting for a scene.
Camera Focus
Then he describes how he works with cameras, especially when it comes to focusing. For him, the focus must be on the main subject of the frame. If there is a distraction in the background and its motion is crucial for the story, you would want to focus on it for the audience to understand.
Camera Placement
Ties goes by feeling when it comes to camera placement. The background of the film decides which lens you have to pick.
Camera Movement
Ties tells us how he works when it comes to camera movement. He feels whether he should use it when looking at the script. Characters' expressions are crucial in this part of the filming. If you want the audience to follow them or not, the camera will follow them too.
Filters
Ties reveal to us that he uses filters when he shoots footage. He then gives us which ones and for which reasons.
Emotions in Film
Ties shares his advice on coordinating lighting and feelings. When it comes to lighter, more light-hearted emotions, the more you use and choose low-key lighting. You want to create beauty.
Creating Different Stories
Ties reveal that he applies rules whenever he is working on a project. He would never zoom in on the characters or the scene when filming a conversation.
Favorite Gear
Before ending, he shares with us his favorite gear, which one he uses, and for which reasons.
About Your Instructor
Ties Versteegh
Director of photography
Amsterdam, Netherlands
"Use your imagination to know fairytales exist."
Ties Versteegh is a Dutch DOP and cinematographer in love with fairytales.
According to Ties, he loves the beauty of creating something that might exist. His main inspiration includes fairytales like Alice in Wonderland.
But also tales where's a world within another, such as Shutter Island and Inception. He is interested in surrealism and projects larger than reality.
His work includes true stories and tales aiming for self-reflection that help everyday people contribute to the world. He lives in Amsterdam, NL.
Ties is a member of the Netherlands Society of Cinematographers (NSC) with experience in international films, documentaries, commercials, and animations.
Ties is also very skilled with green screens and computer-generated technology.
If you enjoyed this masterclass, be sure to check out our complete guide to cinematography or deep dive into the world of filmmaking.
