What Does Cinematic Even Mean?
Filmmaking is an endless journey. What makes an image cinematic? How do we get there? Well, you will need technique and knowledge. I will focus on a few aspects, which I think are most prevalent for contemporary visual storytelling. Immersion. Dimensionality plays a huge part in image making today. There is a big dichotomy between YouTube and films at the cinema. Dimensionality allows for more 3d images, which feel more lifelike, immersing you in the story. For a film, you don’t want to be looking at your phone or chatting all the time, you want to be absorbed in the story. There are several aspects that affect dimensionality. Camera is one piece of the puzzle, but light and color grading is arguably more important. They allow more pop and separation with the background, adding layers to create a more believable world despite being projected on a 2D plane.
Composition. Framing and camera work are what turn life into art. Life is not inherently cinematic, or there’d be little purpose to filmmaking. Camera movement can be distracting, but when executed properly in conjunction with aesthetic angles and leading lines, they provide compelling perspectives on our world, even if it’s only for for a few hours at the theatre.