{"id":1456,"date":"2025-04-21T15:23:11","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T15:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/?p=1456"},"modified":"2025-04-21T15:23:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T15:23:12","slug":"how-to-get-cinematic-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/how-to-get-cinematic-video\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get a Cinematic Look With Affordable Equipment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The great equalizer of indie filmmaking is that anyone can create beautiful, cinematic images with enough ingenuity. Phone cameras have progressed to such a degree that even the smallest budgets can utilize technology that fits in your pocket; beyond that, equipment rental services have made it easier than ever to play around with a wide range of tools for a day or two. Just look at current indie king Sean Baker, who became the first person to win four Oscars for a single film, the $6 million \u201cAnora\u201d; he shot his breakout movie \u201cTangerine\u201d on three 5s iPhones.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, Baker is still the exception, not the rule; but he does illustrate an important point: Just because you <em>can<\/em> get the fanciest equipment doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you <em>should<\/em>. Here\u2019s how to achieve the cinema-worthy look you\u2019re striving for, no matter your setup.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Storyboard and organize with precision.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking the time to thoroughly plan and choreograph your shoot will pay dividends\u2014it may even save you money. If rental equipment is cutting into a large portion of your budget, knowing exactly what you need to shoot ahead of time will curtail any unforeseen costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed alignright is-type-wp-embed is-provider-filmfreeway wp-block-embed-filmfreeway\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"vRXwvV9fXN\"><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/3-filmmakers-on-how-to-make-a-micro-budget-movie\/\">3 Filmmakers on How to Make a Micro-Budget Movie<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201c3 Filmmakers on How to Make a Micro-Budget Movie\u201d \u2014 FilmFreeway\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/3-filmmakers-on-how-to-make-a-micro-budget-movie\/embed\/#?secret=YAPmLoVH3E#?secret=vRXwvV9fXN\" data-secret=\"vRXwvV9fXN\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps more importantly, your images will look better with the more thought you put behind them. Being \u201ccinematic\u201d is not just about capturing the most aesthetically pleasing shot possible, but doing so with intention. Shooting during golden hour, for example, will produce a warm, pleasant feeling; but does that add to or clash with the tone and subtext you\u2019re trying to get across? If you carefully aim to move the audience visually <em>and<\/em> emotionally, they will forgive the odd quirk that comes with low-budget filmmaking.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understand frame rate and aspect ratio.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>For centuries, the standard frame rate\u2014i.e., how many still pictures a camera captures every second\u2014for film has been 24 frames per second. Onscreen, this closely resembles the motion blur of the human eye. The most simple starting point is making sure you are shooting in 24fps, which viewers automatically associate with what they see at the movies. Shooting in 30fps will produce a smoother, clearer video\u2014which, ironically, feels <em>less<\/em> like cinema. (Higher frame rates are often used for things like news broadcasts and sporting events.)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A similar conversation should be had about your aspect ratio, or the relationship between the width and height of your image. Many widely available cameras will shoot in 16:9, the typical aspect ratio for TVs and most computer screens. But the aspect ratio you\u2019ll most commonly see in a movie theater is 1.85:1, or 2.39:1 for wide screen. Here\u2019s a tip: Even if your camera can\u2019t achieve these settings, you can get that look by cropping the footage in postproduction.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more you understand aspect ratios, the more intentional you can be. Think of it as the size of your canvas. David Lean\u2019s decision to shoot \u201cLawrence of Arabia\u201d with 2.20:1 aspect ratio on 70 mm prints was necessary to capture the massive open landscapes of the vast desert. By contrast, L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Nemes made his harrowing Holocaust film \u201cSon of Saul\u201d with a 1.37.1 aspect ratio, which helped elicit the claustrophobic feel of being trapped in the world\u2019s most notorious death camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Proper lighting and color correction is key.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a rookie mistake to assume cinematography is all about the camera. How you choose to light a scene makes all the difference between amateurish and professional. And don\u2019t think that just translates to \u201ceverything is visible,\u201d either; that\u2019s how you end up with a flat image. Study, research, and think about how to use light (and shadow) to create depth, as well as convey a specific mood and meaning. A character whose face is hidden in darkness is going to instantly feel different from one who is illuminated by the soft morning glow from an open window.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And remember, this mindset doesn\u2019t end when you wrap production. Too many eager independent filmmakers don\u2019t take the time to go through the proper postproduction steps. If you\u2019re going to splurge on anything, make it color correction (or <em>really<\/em> commit to learning the process yourself). Skillfully adjusting color and contrast is one of the most surefire ways to get a cinematic look, regardless of the quality of your camera package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to get seduced by the flashiest equipment. But if you\u2019ve never cooked a seven-course meal, merely standing in a state-of-the-art kitchen wouldn\u2019t transform you into Gordon Ramsay. The same goes for what you \u201ccook up\u201d on a film set. It\u2019s more important to learn how to get a lot with a little. Those DIY skills will still come in handy when you\u2019re (inevitably) working with an unlimited budget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You don\u2019t need to break the bank to capture theater-worthy images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":1458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Get a Cinematic Look With Any Camera | FilmFreeway<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You don\u2019t need to break the bank to capture theater-worthy images\u2014here\u2019s how to make the most of your 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