Unit 4 | Cinematography & Color
Introduction
Unit 4 moves past basic editing into deliberate cinematography. Naming video styles, analyzing and replicating camera technique, planning through storyboards and shot lists, and correcting then grading color. Building toward a solo, no-narration Video Essay.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Name and distinguish video styles by purpose, audience, and convention
- Identify and replicate camera moves, angles, framing, and exposure
- Storyboard and build a timed shot list using royalty-free or public domain music
- Color correct footage to a neutral baseline, then apply an intentional grade
Calendar of Events for This Unit
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/2 | 11/3 | 11/4 | 11/5 | 11/6 |
| Grading Day | Election Day | F | 4.1 | F | 4.1 | F | 4.2 |
| 11/6: Report Card grades due, close 4:00pm (MP1) | ||||
| 11/9 | 11/10 | 11/11 | 11/12 | 11/13 |
| F | 4.2 | F | 4.3 | Veterans Day | F | 4.3 | F | 4.4 |
| 11/10: Report Card grade verification window closes (MP1); 11/12: Report Cards delivered via Parent Portal (MP1) | ||||
| 11/16 | 11/17 | 11/18 | 11/19 | 11/20 |
| F | 4.4 | S | 4 | S | 4 | S | 4 | S | 4 |
| 11/30 | 12/1 | 12/2 | 12/3 | 12/4 |
| S | 4 | S | 4 | F | 5.1 | F | 5.1 | F | 5.2 |
| 11/30: Grade Correction Deadline (MP1) | ||||
Lessons
- 4.1 – Video Styles. Guided notes: video essay, documentary, PSA, narrative short & more
- 4.2 – Shot Analysis & Camera Technique. Guided notes: camera moves, angles, framing, exposure
- 4.3 – Storyboard & Shot List. Guided notes: storyboarding, timed shot lists, royalty-free music
- 4.4 – Color Correction & Grading. Guided notes: white balance, correction vs. grading, Lumetri
- S4 – Video Essay. Summative project, with a structured peer review pass
Unit Vocabulary
- Video Essay
- A visual argument told primarily through sequencing, natural sound, and music. Little to no narration explaining what’s on screen.
- Documentary
- A nonfiction form built around interviews and voiceover (VO) guiding the viewer through real events or subjects.
- News Package
- A reporter-led nonfiction form (the Unit 3 form). A structured story with a reporter, sound bites, and a clear angle.
- Music Video
- A performance- or concept-driven piece cut to a track, where the visuals follow the music’s rhythm and mood rather than spoken narration.
- PSA (Public Service Announcement)
- A short persuasive piece built around a cause, meant to change a viewer’s belief or behavior.
- Commercial
- A short persuasive piece built around a product, meant to make a viewer want to buy or use it.
- Narrative Short
- A fictional story told through scripted scenes, characters, and dialogue (the Unit 7 form).
- Pan / Tilt
- A pan moves the camera left-right on its tripod head; a tilt moves it up-down. Both rotate the camera without moving its position.
- Dolly / Truck
- A dolly moves the whole camera forward or back; a truck moves it left or right. Both reposition the camera itself, not just its rotation.
- Pedestal
- Raising or lowering the camera’s height without changing its angle.
- Camera Angle
- The vertical position of the camera relative to the subject. Neutral (eye level), low (looking up), high (looking down), or Dutch (tilted, for tension).
- Framing (Shot Size)
- How much of the subject fills the frame. From an extreme close-up (ECU, part of the face) to an extreme long/wide shot (subject small in the frame).
- Aperture
- The camera’s opening that controls how much light enters, measured in f-numbers. A lower f-number lets in more light and creates shallower depth of field.
- Shutter Angle
- The relationship between shutter speed and frame rate. 180° (paired with 24fps) is the standard cinema look. Larger angles blur motion more, smaller angles look crisper.
- Gain (ISO)
- A camera setting that boosts sensitivity to light. Useful in low light, but raising it too high adds visible noise/grain.
- Depth of Field
- How much of the shot (foreground to background) stays in sharp focus. Controlled mainly by aperture.
- Storyboard
- A sequence of sketches previsualizing a shot’s framing and camera angle before filming. Doesn’t need to be polished, just clear enough to communicate the plan.
- Shot List
- A written, ordered list of every shot a production needs, often tied to specific timing or story beats.
- Pre-Production
- All the planning work that happens before filming. Scripting, storyboarding, securing rights, scheduling.
- Royalty-Free Music
- Music licensed for a one-time fee (or free) that can be used repeatedly without ongoing royalty payments. A safe choice when a production doesn’t have rights to original music.
- Public Domain
- Creative work no longer (or never) protected by copyright. Free to use without permission or licensing.
- Synchronization Rights
- Legal permission to pair a piece of music with visual media. Required any time you use someone else’s music in a video, even a school project.
- White Balance
- A camera or editing adjustment ensuring colors (especially white) render accurately under the current light source.
- Color Correction
- Adjusting recorded footage to shift colors back to an accurate, neutral baseline. Fixing a problem, not creating a look.
- Color Grading
- Adjusting already-corrected footage to create an intentional look that enhances mood and tone. A creative choice, not a fix.
- Lumetri
- Premiere Pro’s built-in color tool, with Basic Correction (white balance, exposure), Creative (style presets), and Curves/Color Wheels panels for grading.
- LUT (Look-Up Table)
- A preset that remaps a shot’s colors to a specific look. A fast starting point for grading, usually refined further by hand.