Quotes from Steven Ascher

imagine a line drawn through the main line of action—be it a moving car, a football field, or the eye line of a conversation.

The windows were covered to block out daylight (to create a darker feel and prevent any changes

In this shot, the light on the face (from a soft box with a daylight-balanced compact fluorescent bulb) is quite flat, but because the background is busy and bright, the light doesn't seem dull.

Low-key scenes, nighttime effects, and many outdoor sunlit scenes are shot at ratios much higher than 4:1.

Computer storyboarding programs, such as StoryBoard Quick and StoryBoard Artist

often you want keep the light on the actors and darken the upper part of the wall above them).

For each shot, the cinematographer decides how large the subject should be in the frame.

Art is edited truth . . . Art is skill in the service of passion. —STEPHEN SONDHEIM

50mm is considered normal for 35mm SLR and full-frame DSLRs.

The standard series of f-stops, or f-numbers, is: 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32

The moving camera creates a feeling of depth in the space. The zoom tends to flatten space and can call attention to the act of filming itself.

To minimize this, keep actors away from walls, place them against dark rather than light walls, position furniture or props to break up the shadows, and use diffusion to soften secondary lights.

Glints or kicks can be diminished by repositioning a shiny object or by applying washable dulling spray or even soap.

In general, using a brighter, harder light from a greater distance away from the action will result in more even illumination than a softer unit closer to the subject.

When panning or tracking with a moving subject, it's usually a good idea to let him walk out of frame at the end of the shot to provide more options in editing.