cinematography
Purpose
The camera is the audience's eye. Decide what they see, when, from where, and why — serving the beat, not the "cool" angle.
Scope
D102–D107, D132 match moving (S-17), Depth 21 shot grammar, composition systems, continuity, pacing, transitions.
Activation Conditions
- Camera, lens, DoF, shot size, 180 rule, composition, camera move, match move / camera track
Use cinematography
Non-Activation Conditions
- Lighting setups (→ lighting)
- Animatic drawing (→ preproduction / grease-pencil) unless converting boards to 3D cameras
- Final cut (→ production-finishing) though continuity rules bind the editor
Instructions
- One camera object per shot; lens from D105; sensor; DoF decision (5.7).
- Shot language (D103 / Ch 21): coverage, 180° rule, eyeline, continuity.
- Composition (D104 / 21.2): rule of thirds, golden, silhouette, negative space, leading lines, frame within frame. Read at small size.
- Lens (D105): long = compressed/intimate or surveillance; wide = space/distortion/power. Match real focal lengths for live-action (D132).
- Shot design (D106 / 21.4 / 38.4): size/angle/move decided per beat. Don't change all three at once without reason.
- Movement (D107): motivated only. Dolly, crane, handheld, shake. Hard stops = weight. Cameras obey the 12 principles.
- Match moving (D132 / S-17): Clip editor detect/solve, error < 0.5 px good, > 1.5 re-track; ground plane; test cube must not slide; then CG; match grain/MB.
- Continuity & editing rules (21.3) — coordinate with production-finishing.
Procedures
Shot design table
Close-up = emotion; medium = acting; wide = geography/power. Low angle = power; high = vulnerability. Dutch = unease (don't overuse).
Motivated move
If the camera moves, a character/thought/reveal moves it. No sightseeing.
Decision Logic
- Previs cameras come from boards.
- Horror (Example F): low POV, Dutch, ECU candle, silhouette creature.
- DoF: hero CU realism render; otherwise cheap in comp.
Inputs
- Boards/animatic, beat list, style, set scale, whether live-action plate
Outputs
- Camera per shot (focal length, film back, move)
- Composition notes
- Match-move solve if any
- Shared state: cameras locked for animation
Tools
Camera object, camera locking, motion tracking, DoF, graph editor on camera. Ch 21 tables. S-17.
Constraints
Don't violate 180 without a cut that resets. Don't animate characters to a camera you plan to replace. Don't ignore solve error.
Edge Cases
- Orthographic stylized: legal; document it.
- Tiny creature vs giant mech: two scales, two lenses, same continuity.
Failure Modes & Fixes
| FAIL |
FIX |
| Unmotivated move |
Kill the move or attach to a beat |
| Crossing the line |
Reverse shot / cutaway |
| Wobbly CG in plate |
Re-track; ground plane; test cube |
| Unreadable staging |
Simpler size; silhouette |
Dependencies
- Constrained by story/boards
- Constrains animation and lighting
- Match move feeds render-comp integration
Related Skills
preproduction, animation, lighting, render-comp, grease-pencil
Delegation Rules
- Mood light → lighting
- Final cut/pacing → production-finishing
- GP boards → grease-pencil
- If only "what lens for a portrait" → answer here (85–135 mm equivalent typical)
Examples
- Dialogue: 180 line, OTS pair, CU for the turn.
- Dawn mech wake: wide establishing flooded street, low angle on waking, longer lens on eye-light.
Required Knowledge / Context
knowledge/domains/ch12-cinematography.mdknowledge/depth/ch21-cinematography-theory.md- S-17 match moving
References to Shared Resources
workflows/shot-pipeline.mdtemplates/shot-record.md
1---2name: cinematography3description: Camera object, shot language, composition, lens and perspective, shot design per beat, camera movement, continuity, and match moving for live-action integration.4---56# cinematography78## Purpose910The camera is the audience's eye. Decide what they see, when, from where, and why — serving the beat, not the "cool" angle.1112## Scope1314D102–D107, D132 match moving (S-17), Depth 21 shot grammar, composition systems, continuity, pacing, transitions.1516## Activation Conditions1718- Camera, lens, DoF, shot size, 180 rule, composition, camera move, match move / camera track19- `Use cinematography`2021## Non-Activation Conditions2223- Lighting setups (→ lighting)24- Animatic drawing (→ preproduction / grease-pencil) unless converting boards to 3D cameras25- Final cut (→ production-finishing) though continuity rules bind the editor2627## Instructions28291. One camera object per shot; lens from D105; sensor; DoF decision (5.7).302. Shot language (D103 / Ch 21): coverage, 180° rule, eyeline, continuity.313. Composition (D104 / 21.2): rule of thirds, golden, silhouette, negative space, leading lines, frame within frame. Read at small size.324. Lens (D105): long = compressed/intimate or surveillance; wide = space/distortion/power. Match real focal lengths for live-action (D132).335. Shot design (D106 / 21.4 / 38.4): size/angle/move decided per beat. Don't change all three at once without reason.346. Movement (D107): motivated only. Dolly, crane, handheld, shake. Hard stops = weight. Cameras obey the 12 principles.357. Match moving (D132 / S-17): Clip editor detect/solve, error < 0.5 px good, > 1.5 re-track; ground plane; test cube must not slide; then CG; match grain/MB.368. Continuity & editing rules (21.3) — coordinate with production-finishing.3738## Procedures3940### Shot design table41Close-up = emotion; medium = acting; wide = geography/power. Low angle = power; high = vulnerability. Dutch = unease (don't overuse).4243### Motivated move44If the camera moves, a character/thought/reveal moves it. No sightseeing.4546## Decision Logic4748- Previs cameras come from boards.49- Horror (Example F): low POV, Dutch, ECU candle, silhouette creature.50- DoF: hero CU realism render; otherwise cheap in comp.5152## Inputs5354- Boards/animatic, beat list, style, set scale, whether live-action plate5556## Outputs5758- Camera per shot (focal length, film back, move)59- Composition notes60- Match-move solve if any61- Shared state: cameras locked for animation6263## Tools6465Camera object, camera locking, motion tracking, DoF, graph editor on camera. Ch 21 tables. S-17.6667## Constraints6869Don't violate 180 without a cut that resets. Don't animate characters to a camera you plan to replace. Don't ignore solve error.7071## Edge Cases7273- Orthographic stylized: legal; document it.74- Tiny creature vs giant mech: two scales, two lenses, same continuity.7576## Failure Modes & Fixes7778| FAIL | FIX |79|---|---|80| Unmotivated move | Kill the move or attach to a beat |81| Crossing the line | Reverse shot / cutaway |82| Wobbly CG in plate | Re-track; ground plane; test cube |83| Unreadable staging | Simpler size; silhouette |8485## Dependencies8687- Constrained by story/boards88- Constrains animation and lighting89- Match move feeds render-comp integration9091## Related Skills9293preproduction, animation, lighting, render-comp, grease-pencil9495## Delegation Rules9697- Mood light → lighting98- Final cut/pacing → production-finishing99- GP boards → grease-pencil100- If only "what lens for a portrait" → answer here (85–135 mm equivalent typical)101102## Examples103104- Dialogue: 180 line, OTS pair, CU for the turn.105- Dawn mech wake: wide establishing flooded street, low angle on waking, longer lens on eye-light.106107## Required Knowledge / Context108109- `knowledge/domains/ch12-cinematography.md`110- `knowledge/depth/ch21-cinematography-theory.md`111- S-17 match moving112113## References to Shared Resources114115- `workflows/shot-pipeline.md`116- `templates/shot-record.md`
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