Cinematography - A Mix of Skill, Art & Equipment

Cinematography is an art form that requires technical proficiency and creative vision.

Commercial cinematography, in particular, involves producing high-quality video content for

marketing and advertising purposes. To achieve the desired results, commercial

cinematographers need to use the right professional equipment. Professional equipment is essential for achieving a cinematic look that sets commercial content apart from amateur videos. The equipment used by commercial cinematographers includes high-end cameras, lenses, lighting, and sound equipment. Each of these elements plays a critical role in producing high-quality content that meets or hopefully exceeds the standards of

the industry.

High-quality cameras are the foundation of professional cinematography. Commercial

cinematographers use cameras that can shoot in high resolutions such as 4K or even 8K. The

higher the resolution, the more detail the camera captures, resulting in clearer and sharper

images. Moreover, high-end cameras offer a wider dynamic range, which means they capture

and save more details in shadows and highlights, resulting in more vibrant and vivid images as well as manipulation in post-production.

The right lens is also crucial, in fact in most cases the most important tool to achieving the

desired look in commercial cinematography. Commercial cinematographers use a variety of

lenses, including cinema prime and zoom lenses, to create different looks and feel to a project. Prime lenses and their fixed focal length, which provides a sharper image and a shallower depth of field due to usually having faster aperture. Zoom lenses, on the other hand, offer more flexibility in some cases and allow cinematographers to zoom in and out of a shot which can also help to tell the story in your commercial or feature film.

Lighting is another essential component of commercial cinematography. Lighting sets the

mood, creates depth, and highlights the subject. Professional cinematographers use different

types of lights, including key lights, fill lights, and backlight, to create the desired effect. They

also use light modifiers such as soft boxes, diffusers, mirrors and reflectors to shape and direct the light.

When it comes to the camera, lenses and lighting the order is very subjective

depending on the project. I personally think lighting is the most important then the lens and

last but not least the camera and sensor.

Sound equipment is also critical in commercial cinematography. Clear and crisp audio is

essential to the success of any video content. Commercial cinematographers use high-quality

microphones and audio recorders to capture clean and clear sound. They also use boom poles,wind protection, and other sound accessories to ensure that the audio is of high quality.

In my opinion commercial cinematographers need to use the right professional equipment to

produce high-quality cinematic content. The right equipment, including cameras, lenses,

lighting, and sound equipment, plays a crucial role in achieving a cinematic look that sets

commercial content apart from amateur videos.

Investing in professional equipment is essential for any commercial cinematographer who wants to produce outstanding cinematic content that meets or exceeds the standards of the industry. And when I say investing in, I refer to most cases where you're renting the right equipment from a rental house to achieve the desired look and feel for your client’s campaign. I think having some tools you personally own can be helpful for smaller shoots but as the tools change so often keeping up with those changes is better left to rental houses whose sole purpose is to have ALL the tools for ALL needs. We have a great one in Tampa Bay that is my go-to is FloCam (www.FloCamDigital.com) with locations in Ft Lauderdale, Orlando and Clearwater.