From the course: Cinematic Composition for Video Productions

Unlock this course with a free trial

Join today to access over 22,400 courses taught by industry experts.

Depth of field

Depth of field

- In any given image, there are multiple layers of depth. By shifting the focal point, we can determine when and how much detail in visual information we provide to the viewer. When we shoot at a great depth of field everything looks sharp. We often see this approach in very wide shots that establish the context of a scene. As camera sensors improved and get larger and lenses become faster and faster, shooting with a shallow depth of field has seen a dramatic increase in popularity. The beauty of this technique is that you are able to throw the background of an image out of focus to force the viewer to hone in on the subject or point of interest. Because of the cinematic look and diminish need for set design, this technique has become invaluable in lower budget productions. We can keep our audience focus on what's important in transform mundane locations into beautiful background pallets and avoid extensive set design, setup time and high cost. It is important to remember that great…

Contents