Focal Length

Looking to shoot your next feature and add a cinematic continuity to improve your cinematic value is to understand what a focal length is and how to use it. A focal length is the basic measurement of what is seen in the lens. 50mm lens for a full frame camera is a normal lens that basically the same focal length a person sees. Any thing below 50mm is normally a wide lens and based on its distortion (can bee scene on the edges of the frame and the wide the lens the more of a fisheye effect you get)in the lens can change the lens from a wide to a fisheye. Once you go beyond 50mm you start in to a telephoto lens (zoom lens), next is choosing the right lens for your film is to understand the effect you want with a wide you can fell far away from your character but if done right you can be extremely close to your character like in the film “Raising Arizona”  a normal lens is like the styles of Robert Rodriguez and last is the telephoto which is great to make a small crowd larger. Once you pick a focal length you should sick with that focal length for example if you have a 24mm on for your close up every time you go back to that close up you should stay with 24mm because a change from 24mm to 35mm can disturb your viewers viewing on the shoots being scene. There are many lenses to choose from and many ways to apply them and focal length even change with format being shot on for example if you are shooting with a 16mm film camera all focal length need to be doubled in order to compare the focal length (24-25mm is – to a 50mm lens for a 35mm camera.) thanks for reading and remember to keep your focus.