*This article contains spoilers for the movies “Nope” and “Avengers: Endgame.” *

It goes without saying, but there is a lot that goes into making a great film. While many might begin a conversation about that with character writing or set design, there is a concept just as important that movies are predicated on. That concept is cinematography, which is the “art and craft of making motion pictures by capturing a story visually.” According to the article “What is Cinematography? Defining the Art and Craft” by Studiobinder. Camera angles, camera movement, choice of camera, etc. are the types of things considered parts of cinematography, and they all double as vital factors in the production of a film or TV series. As such, the concept itself is invaluable to the mediums of television and film. It could even be argued that cinematography is what differentiates those mediums from other forms of entertainment, much like what gaming’s interactivity does for it as a medium. By putting this defining aspect of film under a microscope, it can be understood why it’s so important.

The Effects of Cinematography

Of course, the reason any concept is utilized is primarily because of how it affects the fields related to it. So, what are the effects of cinematography? Plentiful; cinematography is capable of doing a lot for any given work of film, whether that be impacting its character writing or beat-to-beat storytelling. Looking at two of the major ways it does so is the first step to understanding the importance of the concept to its associated medium.

Emotion

The viewer’s emotional response to parts of a narrative is a cornerstone of storytelling as a whole, and what that viewer sees can actually be a big determinant of what that emotional response is. As such, cinematography is an inextricable part of how the mediums of film and television tell stories, since it is a large part of how the audience will perceive a scene. It may seem strange that simple camera work is capable of doing that, but myriads of examples support that statement. For instance, in the 2022 movie “Nope” (directed by Jordan Peele), a UFO is the main threat to the protagonists during the film, and it’s effective in that role despite its lack of dialogue because of how it’s framed. Its first appearance features it swiftly moving from inside one cloud to another, and while the scene itself lasts all of a few seconds, the “blink and you’ll miss it” feel the camera gave the UFO made it feel otherworldly and mysterious, getting viewers themselves to feel the confusion and awe the character felt in that moment. Alternatively, the apparent quickness in its movements and the fact that it seemed to be hiding from the character involved in the scene could’ve made it seem predatory, which sets it up very well as the film’s antagonistic force. That effect comes entirely from the cinematography of the film; the almost ground-to-sky view director Jordan Peele gave the UFO in that moment is the first step to establishing its existence, as are the emotions viewers feel when looking at it. Nope is just one example of how the concept impacts the emotions of the audience, but the movie does a wonderful job of detailing just how vital it is in doing so.

Attention of the Viewer

Where the viewer’s attention lies is pivotal to making stories interesting and understandable, and directors use cinematography to make sure the audience is focusing on the right thing in any given scene. That can do anything from improving a character’s characterization to highlighting a significant plot point. The most common example of cinematography being utilized for this purpose is found in the simple yet effective technique of putting someone at the center of the screen. For example, if Thanos was on the right side of the screen during his speech to the Avengers during “Avengers: Endgame,” then the importance of that moment to his character wouldn’t have come across clearly. Keeping important things in focus is extremely important to how movies and shows tell stories, and that scene shows how big of a role physically centering on something plays in doing that. In fact, that matter is so important that it’s actually one of the primary jobs of directors and cinematographers. As stated in Studiobinder’s article “What is Cinematography? Defining the Art and Craft” part of a cinematographer’s role is to “play with focus to emphasize different aspects of the story.”. Of course, that’s just one instance of how cinematography can alter the attention of the viewer, but it does a fine job of explaining just how effective the concept is in doing that.

Both of the above sections detail the sheer amount of impact cinematography has on vital aspects of the mediums it’s connected to. With it being such a big factor in those aspects, it’s no wonder why there are positions on production teams centered around the concept. Cinematography is nothing short of the foundation of how films and shows tell stories; the visual in those works is just as important as the verbal or other things.