Have you ever experienced a movie scene and felt completely absorbed in a character’s emotion or in a world so captivating that you forgot it was fiction?
The magic, usually, can be traced back to the filmmaker’s lens selection. In the realm of videography, lenses do much more than take photographs or videos; they determine how the story is told.
In this article, we will focus on the captivating topic of how video lenses can determine and how a story is told cinematically. It doesn’t really matter whether you are an experienced videographer or an amateur with a camera; understanding the artistry of depth can change the way stories are captured in videos.
Why Lens Choice Matters
Essentially all *lenses* can record light and create images from them, but in filmmaking, lenses serve a greater purpose. Lenses direct attention, establish mood, and even determine the emotional undertone of a scene.
Pick the lens focus through which your story’s eyes will be placed. Picking a lens is more of a creative choice rather than a technical one. A wide-angle lens has the capability to make any room seem large, but when used with a telephoto lens the room may instead seem cramped. The picked lens molds the atmosphere compatible for structuring the story.
Focal Length – The Storytelling Game-Changer
Let’s begin with focal length – the distance (measured in millimeters) from the lens to the camera sensor is the distance with which the subject is adequately focused. It is one of the most important parameters when it comes to how a lens affects your video.
Wide-Angle Lenses (14mm to 35mm)
These types of lenses are best suited with scenes that need a frame of view as they capture images with an expanded field of view. They are most suitable for –
- Landscapes – Big shots that immerse the audience into the videographer’s realm.
- Overpopulated Areas – Such as city markets or any other place teeming with activities.
- Dramatic Angles – Cutting down an extremely far away angle which would make a space appear much bigger.
Do you wish to put your audience into a distant and huge universe where they feel tiny? You can do this by using wide angle lenses.
Standard Lenses (35mm to 70mm)
Shutterson explains that this is the “everyman” lens simply because it’s how we see the world. It has a balanced perspective which makes it ideal for the following –
- Dialogue scenes – Creating a relatable and sensible viewpoint.
- Documentaries – Exposing a true and non-obtrusive appraisal.
- When capturing a Day-to-Day Narrative – Provides aid in realism without distortion of the world.
They help ground your audience in the story and provide clarity so the viewer doesn’t get lost.
Telephoto Lenses (70mm and above)
If you are looking for drama and proximity, telephoto lenses bring fascination. They make the background smaller and bring far off subjects closer, making them perfect for –
- Close-Ups – Enhancing emotive facial features and expressions of raw feelings.
- Nature Documentaries – Filming animals up close while still being safely away.
- Isolated Moments – Directing the audience’s attention towards one subject.
You can be more engaging and personal with your audience using telephoto lenses.
Aperture – Crafting Depth of Field
Aperture not only controls the amount of light entering the lens but also influences depth of field, which is the portion of an image that has distinct clarity. Hence, the depth of field plays a pivotal role in storytelling.
Wide Apertures (f/1.2 to f/2.8)
If you’re looking for that dreamy, yesteryear look, a wide aperture would work the best. Shallow depth of field allows the background to beautifully blur into bokeh while your subject sharply remains in frame. This would suit dreamy and romantic scenes.
Narrow Apertures (f/8 and beyond)
Everything is crisp and sharp with a narrow aperture which works best for cityscapes and other scenes packed with action, lending focus to every detail.
Specialty Lenses – Pushing the Creative Envelope
Specialized lenses such as macro, tilt-shift, and fisheye lenses enable storytelling from unique perspectives not available with traditional lenses. Not every lens fits into the ‘standard’ definition.
- Bend reality with fisheye lenses and give viewers an abstract perspective like no other.
- Tilt-shift lenses are ideal for cityscapes and controlling perspective distortion for miniature portrayals.
- Days are not complete without seeing the ultra-close-up shots of flowers, and macro lenses achieve that vision where every detail is important.
All of the listed options give your audience a different eye of creativity enabling storytelling from a perspective that is not known to them.
Tips for Choosing the Right Lens
So, here’s how to make the perfect lens selection for your next project –
- Determine the Goal of the Scene – What do you want the audience to feel or what part of the story you want them to focus on?
- Analyze the Environment – Is the location a small room or an open field?
- Lazily Try Out Different Options – Put yourself in a position to fail while trying out different lenses.
Set Your Financial Limits – There are great lenses out on the market but they can be pricey. You may need to rent them—or use other low-cost options—to get the look you are aiming for.
Conclusion – The Lens Is Your Paintbrush
Every decision you make as a filmmaker affects the outcome of your project. Every lens functions as a tool and a brush, sculpting sands of time into art through each shot, be it vast landscapes, detailed portraits, or enthralling action scenes.
Would you care to learn more about the footage capturing functions? Reset Media, your trusted partner in video storytelling, offers a plethora of resources and insights to help you further hone your craft.