When you’re ready to jump into the deep end of TV production, one of your first steps will be to create a proposal for your show. The process of creating a proposal can be daunting and intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Having a comprehensive plan is the best way to ensure that your project is successful.
A killer television show concept is only the starting point. To get a green light, that kernel of an idea must be developed into a rock-solid show proposal that hooks network executives and clearly maps out every element of the series. Show creators invest substantial time crafting polished proposals that reflect a mastery of what makes great TV.
From establishing the premise to profiling characters to outlining early episodes, the proposal is the blueprint conveying the vision in meticulous detail. Here are techniques to craft an airtight show proposal package that maximizes the odds of selling your show.
Meanwhile, check out our other blogs and articles.
Refine the Core Premise
Your proposal should include a thoughtful, well-developed logline that succinctly sums up the premise and key characters in a compelling way. Start by writing out an elevator pitch of no more than three sentences that summarizes your show’s concept. This blurb will be used throughout the process to communicate the series’ essence.
Start by distilling your show concept into a short, intriguing logline summing up the core premise in 1-2 sentences. This central idea should establish a unique setting, world or character that inherently sparks episodic stories. “A chemistry teacher with cancer becomes a meth dealer.” “90s era women wrestlers in LA navigate romance and competition.” “Teenager time travels back to the 1980s.” Strong premises have inherent dramatic potential that connects with audiences.
Outline the Character Arcs
After you have the main concept down, develop a few characters whose stories will drive the season arc and generate story possibilities in future seasons. Create detailed character bios that outline their physical attributes, backgrounds and motivations. You should also include potential plot points to illustrate how each character could play out over time.
These characters should be distinctive but relatable, providing insight into human nature while also eliciting empathy. Even if your show concept is outrageous, it needs to have characters with realistic motivations. Also consider casting when outlining characters – specific actors can help sell the project to networks and future viewers.
Flesh out the central characters that will be part of this journey, going beyond just a name and occupation. Define their backgrounds, motivations, flaws, strengths and hidden desires that provide depth and complexity. Sketch out thoughtful character arcs across the first season showing evolution, growth and transformations. Audiences need to see the journey ahead to invest in watching it unfold for these characters. Memorable television characters feel like real people.
Build Out the World
The world you create for your series should be consistent and believable. As key elements, consider the day-to-day life of the characters in this particular setting – what do they do on a daily basis? What are their routines? Once these environment details are well established, explore how it might inform a broader story arc.
Describe how the physical world of the show will look, feel and sound. If there’s a super power element, explain how it works in this universe and its effects on society. How do people interact with it? What rules govern it?
Provide vivid details about the show’s distinct setting and the rules governing its world. Is it an atmospheric small town where nothing is random? A magical yet perilous realm? A rough inner city neighborhood?
The setting provides endless story fodder when fleshed out. Explain the show’s tone – is it gritty and realistic or escapist and heightened? Define the visual style and format if integral to the concept. Immerse executives in the world.
Map the First Episode
The pilot episode must be strong enough to get the series picked up and set up a compelling journey for future episodes. Start by brainstorming potential story arcs, hooks, twists and cliffhangers.
Describe where this first episode will take us and how it points to the larger arc of the season. Describe how it introduces characters, their struggles and the world of the series. How will we learn about them? What new elements are introduced in each episode?
The pilot should grab attention and propel viewers into the next installment. Include a concise synopsis for this initial episode that sets up the premise, characters and conflicts while also leaving room for surprises. It should be an exciting jumping off point that executives can
Walk through the pilot episode beat by beat highlighting key scenes, character introductions and catalyst events. Pilots need to hook viewers while establishing the central dramatic question and relationships that power upcoming stories. Demonstrate how the first episode kicks the show into motion in a big way. Include tentative dialogue snippets that reflect character voice and personality. Vividly dramatizing the pilot hooks the reader.
Outline Early Story Arcs
Network executives want to see a clear road map for the season arc of your show. Provide a bird’s eye view of what characters and stories will be explored in upcoming episodes. What plot points and themes are created by the pilot and where do they lead?
Plot out three to five episodes that come after the pilot. Each episode should have its own mini-arc and pay off. Describe the conflicts that emerge from each episode, any plot twists that will surprise viewers and characters arcs that develop over time.
Provide a paragraph summary for the initial batch of episodes to convey continuing story momentum. Map out dramatic conflicts that unfold over multi-episodes or the season. Include surprising reveals, new characters, locations, relationships that enter the mix. A strong proposal indicates thoughtful long-term planning beyond just a great pilot premise. Prove this is a fertile arena for ongoing storytelling.
Showcase Tone and Style
The tone and style of the show should be evident in your proposal. Suggested approaches include samples of existing stories that embody a similar feel or writing clips from episodes to illustrate what viewers can expect.
Include an opening sequence description, theme song and any other elements integral to the concept. Include visuals if they reflect the proposed world – concept art, location photos, costume sketches or storyboard samples. These visuals will help executives get a better sense of your proposed world.
For every pitch, you need to create a distinct brand voice and tone. How does your show feel? Is it darkly comic or earnest and heartfelt? Will the dialogue be witty and sharp or more earnest and direct?
Explain how the visual style will work in tandem with storytelling to create its own unique look. What are the camera angles, shots
Give executives a feel for the show’s distinct visual and tonal DNA by describing standout camerawork, music, editing, dialog pacing and more that shape the style. Identify clear stylistic influences without seeming derivative. Include links to mocked up title sequences, sizzles or mood reels that immerse stakeholders in the atmosphere. Unique style promises a show will cut through the clutter.
Get Into Genre Details
Your proposal should also delve into genre details of the show. Define how it fits within a larger TV landscape, but more importantly why it stands out and why audiences will take notice.
What makes this show different from others? Is there a unique element or twist on an existing format that viewers haven’t seen before? How does it stand out in a crowded TV landscape?
Be sure to explain why you’re the right person to bring this world to life. Explain what inspired you and your team to create this series. Highlight what motivates you as writers/producers and why they should entrust their project in your hands.
Explain how the show speaks to current trends in television and beyond. All of these will help your proposal stand out from the pack.
For certain popular genres, extra detail is expected in the proposal defining key elements viewers demand from the category. Procedurals showcase the crime solving process. Sci-fi series explain the technology and rules of the future. Fantasy provides supernatural mythology. Medical dramas profile interpersonal dynamics. Supplying the right genre ingredients proves familiarity with successful precedents.
Attach Key Talent
If you’ve already landed a talent or creative team behind the project, be sure to include them in your proposal. It doesn’t matter if it’s an up and coming actor, writer, director or showrunner – having key players attached bolsters the profile of your pitch.
Include any committed talent on board with their credits and other pertinent information. Show why they’re the right person to bring this show to life and how their experience will make it successful.
Highlight the strength of your team- from cast, writers, producers, cameramen to editors and sound design – each key element should be accounted for in your proposal. Showcase a collective vision while touting individual strengths.
Networks look for a unified team that’s passionate about the project and committed to its success. Comprehensive details of key talent make your proposal more attractive. They want to know who will be making their show so include as much information as possible on each contributor. Attaching strong talent is one of the best ways to get a network’s attention.
Any major creative talent already interested in your show provides tremendous credibility. Feature successful actors, showrunners, directors, EPs or writers willing to attach and develop their roles. Big names bring built-in audiences. Podcasters and web creators expanding into TV carry their existing fanbase. Prominent talent inspires buyer confidence in the bankability of the project.
Analyze the Competition
Suggested approaches include samples of existing stories that embody a similar feel or writing clips from episodes to illustrate what viewers can expect.
Take time to analyze the competition in the current marketplace and why your show stands out. Explain how your pilot will differentiate itself from other forms of content in its genre. What themes, elements, characters, and conflicts make it unique?
Competitor research offers an invaluable opportunity to highlight why your show stands out from the crowd. Networks want to know that a show will be successful and differentiating yourself is key. Analyze similar series or stories airing now, paying attention to what works well and what might need improvement. Explain how you’re building on existing shows in the genre, advancing the format and creating something viewers haven’t seen before.
Demonstrate intimate knowledge of current and past shows in a similar arena with detailed comparisons about how your show advances the genre. Distinguish your specific twist and approach. Outline the space in the market and target demographic your show is built for. Position the series as the next evolution that builds on audience favorite elements while bringing something fresh.
Get Input From objective Insiders
Assemble a creative team to review your proposal and provide objective input. This could be a producer, writer or showrunner in the same genre who can give feedback on the concept and its viability potential. They’re familiar with what works so tap into their knowledge for honest opinions about improvements that will make it even better.
Get help from other professionals to bring your vision to life. A production house, post-production facility or visual effects studio can help you develop a sizzle reel and nail down the aesthetic you’re going for.
Outside perspective from objective insiders is essential in crafting an effective proposal. They may have little experience in the format but they can give valuable insight about what works and what needs refinement. This third party feedback can offer a fresh perspective on what works and what needs to be adjusted before it’s ready for presentation.
Before presenting, seek honest feedback from experienced creatives with development expertise to strengthen the proposal. Identify any logical gaps that need explaining or elements that seem derivative. Clarify sections that seem dense or confusing for outsiders. Poke holes proactively to make your concept pitcher-proof. Refine based on constructive reactions of objective readers.
Quantify the Core Audience
When creating a pitch, it’s important to think through the target audience for your show. Outline the potential viewers and how they might engage with the content. Provide measurable details about viewership, such as who’s watching and why?
Be sure to specify the age range of viewers you expect to draw in for this series. Take time to analyze the current demographic trends that support the viewership of this show. Are you targeting a younger or older audience? What interests, values and ideals do they share?
Identify any niche markets for this project as well. Do you anticipate crossover appeal with other demographics such as gender, culture, lifestyle or education level? Try to quantify who your core viewers will be and why they’ll be interested in this new series.
Explain which media channels are the best for marketing and promoting your show to its target demographic. Are there any social trends or digital platforms you plan on leveraging? Explain how you will measure viewership metrics once it’s released. This data provides evidence of the potential success and access to a network’s core audience.
Include market research insights demonstrating a viable target viewer demographic that will connect with your concept based on interests and viewing habits. Reference data showing audience appetite for your genre and themes. Provide numbers quantifying the underserved audience niche your show taps into. Prove you intimately understand your fans.
The show proposal forms the foundational blueprint conveying every creative detail and strategic consideration essential to judging a show’s potential. A winning proposal both stokes the imagination of possibilities and substantiates that vision with concrete details of characters, stories, and style. If your concept has breakout television series potential, a strong show proposal crafted with care ensures you have the compelling materials to get that first critical yes. The future hit show exists now in nascent form within a thorough, polished proposal package ready to win hearts and minds.
Why work with C&I Studios?
C&I Studios is a full-service production partnership with over 25 years of experience in television, film, and commercial production. Our team of experienced professionals specialize in content development, project management, finance and legal expertise to help you manage the entire lifecycle of your project from concept to completion.
From creating pitch decks and treatment documents to finding the right investors or buyers, C&I Studios provides all the tools needed to succeed. We use our extensive experience and network of media contacts to help your vision become reality and bring your project to a wider audience. Our commitment is to ensure that each TV show proposal is thoroughly vetted to meet industry standards so that it will stand out in the competitive television landscape.
As part of our process, our team of experienced producers, writers and development executives provide creative feedback to help refine the concept and ensure that it will appeal to a wide audience. With C&I Studios, you have a partner who understands how to create an engaging TV show proposal and market it effectively for your success. We look forward to helping you bring your vision to life!
If you are ready to create your TV show proposal and need assistance, contact C&I Studios today. Our team is here to help guide you through the entire development process from initial concept to creating a compelling pitch deck for prospective buyers. With over 25 years of combined experience in television, film, and commercial production we have the know-how and resources to help make your dream a reality. Contact us today to get started!
Cinematography is the art of producing images and recording motion pictures. It has been used in films, television shows, and commercials for decades to capture the authenticity of a scene or emotion. This form of visual storytelling is essential for conveying important messages and creating an emotive response from viewers.
Advancements in digital filmmaking have opened unprecedented creative possibilities for television cinematography. Once bound to multi-camera studio set-ups, TV series now rival the visual sophistication of big-budget movies thanks to innovations like affordable cinema cameras and LED stages.
But beyond just enhancing the look, cinematic techniques developed for the ever-evolving small screen storytelling medium have massive influence throughout the production process. Visual approaches drive everything from location selection to lighting design to actor blocking during shoots.
Here’s how vital decisions around cinematography shape a holistic television production from start to finish.
Meanwhile, check out our other articles and blogs by clicking here.
Defining an Authentic Visual Identity
In their pursuit of storytelling excellence, television makers must define an authentic visual identity within the parameters of a given budget. For example, filmmakers may decide to shoot with handheld cameras for a more intimate feel, or opt for steady dolly shots to evoke tension. These decisions help create a distinct aesthetic that’s unique to each show.
Establishing a unique visual identity starts in pre-production as directors and cinematographers analyze the style of cinematography suited to the show’s specific world. Is the vibe gritty vérité like The Wire? Slick and contemporary like Insecure? Retro throwback like Stranger Things? Cinematic style impacts production design, location choices, wardrobe, and technical workflows.
For example, sitcoms use warmer colors, softer lighting and flatter depth of field to achieve an inviting look. Or dark crime dramas leverage cooler tones with dramatic shadows and dynamic camera moves for tension. The intended cinematography informs every creative decision in development.
Scouting Real World Inspired Locations
The right locations contribute significantly to a show’s sense of authenticity and visual appeal. To achieve this, cinematographers must carefully scout real world-inspired settings that can accommodate the technical needs of their production.
Location scouts use creative tricks to make existing spaces look bigger than they are or alter their nature for practical purposes. For instance, an alleyway can be made to appear narrower by adding foreground objects or using a telephoto lens. A park may need to be dressed up with extra foliage and seemingly arbitrary props for a more lived-in feel.
The choices cinematographers make during location scouting will directly impact the show’s visual grammar, ultimately defining its look and feel.
Instead of constructing elaborate sets, productions lean heavily on real world locations that supply authentic backdrops and realistic lighting sources. Those locations are selected for how they can be shot to advance the visual language of the project.
For city-based shows, urban spots that enable dynamic camera motion and backgrounds with depth and character get priority. Wider vistas work for sweeping western landscapes. Older architecture fits period dramas. Tech scouts photograph potential locations thinking about scene blocking and coverage to match the intended cinematography approach.
Casting Camera Conscious Actors
How an actor performs in front of the camera is a key factor in creating an authentic on-screen presence. Cinematographers and directors cast performers who know how to respond to subtle nuances of lighting, lens choice, and camera motion.
Trained actors move differently when the environment changes based on different lenses or framing angles. Similarly, cinematographers seek out talent with a naturalistic delivery. This helps create grounded moments in heightened scenarios or catch unexpected moments of emotion that are best captured off the cuff.
The goal is to capture an actor’s most compelling performance—the subtle nuances, breathless pauses, and spontaneous gestures that give a scene its authentic feel. Achieving these takes practice for both the performer and cinematographer.
The rise of naturalistic acting means performers now need to play subtly on camera for intimate close-up shots. Casting seeks actors with experience translating nuanced emotions through restrained expressions and active listening instead of theatrical overacting. Media-trained stars understand technical aspects like cheating eyelines, hitting marks, adjusting to lengths and lighting positions.
Productions schedule adequate camera testing to assess actors’ on-screen presence and chemistry from different angles before confirming casting. The right performers can seamlessly enhance the scene coverage and blocking.
Read more about casting here.
Optimizing Lighting Setups and Rigging
Lighting is key to creating an authentic visual identity. Cinematographers and DP’s use lighting techniques like backlighting, sidelighting, rim lighting, and contrasty hard shadows to emphasize facial features or evoke specific emotions.
Since productions use more practical lighting sources from locations, cinematographers determine optimal setups to supplement these natural sources and shape the desired mood. They strategically rig LED panels, overhead rigs, portable units and other gear in areas of action to craft evocative lighting schemes.
This enables the authentic motivation of light from within the set while maintaining control. Interactive lighting also facilitates the flexible 360 degree continuous shooting style of modern television. Pre-lighting also allows starting and stopping scenes quicker.
Blocking Scenes Around Planned Coverage
Cinematographers and directors plan scene coverage of action based on the intended visual grammar. They consider possible camera placements and angles that achieve the desired look with blocking around them. Scenes are staged to maximize each shot, allowing for multiple takes from several angles and establishing a greater sense of location.
This helps keep productions efficient while capturing visually rich scenes in limited time and space. Cinematographers also plan coverage for cutaways, reaction shots, and other details that add authenticity to the scene while allowing for more creative editing options in post-production.
By combining all the creative decisions made during pre-production, cinematographers work with directors to block scenes around planned coverage. This ensures they capture enough material to cut together an effective final sequence.
The rule of thumb is to shoot multiple angles and a variety of shots from each setup, while still keeping camerawork naturalistic and easy on the eye.
During shoots, blocking is dictated by the scene coverage needed to fulfill the creative vision. Directors map out all the planned angles and shot types in advance – close-ups, over-shoulders, wide masters, steadicam tracking, and more.
Actors are positioned relative to cameras and marks to optimize framing and sightlines for what will cut together editorially. For walk and talks, actors hit specific beats to time with planned tracking dolly shots. Set decorators adjust backgrounds for continuity across coverage. Everything serves the coverage.
Choosing the Right Camera Technology
Cinematographers select the most appropriate cameras for each project. Camera packages include digital cinema cameras and professional video cameras, each with its own strengths and limitations.
Broadcast-oriented shows might use smaller cameras or robotic heads for wider coverage angles and minimal set disruption. For productions that require greater latitude for color grading or extensive VFX, cinematographers might choose a digital cinema camera.
Cameras have specific formats and resolution profiles, along with diverse sensor sizes, lens options, and systems for motion control. Cinematographers also consider the desired workflow to ensure compatibility with post-production workflows in terms of color space and file type.
Production demand the latest digital cinema cameras that balance portability with high resolution, dynamic range and low light capability for a true cinematic look. Form factor is considered to enable mounting on dollies and rigs for movement.
Larger HD sensors critical for filmic depth of field are prioritized over built-in broadcast features like zoom lenses or wireless transmission. Shows also leverage technology like multi-cam arrays or LED volume stages that enable photoreal CGI environments in real-time during live capture. Camera tech enables the creative vision.
Pacing Scenes in Long Takes
Television productions often allot tight shooting windows and all-in-one setups. Cinematographers pace scenes using long takes to capture performances in their entirety, while allowing for rehearsal with blocking and tracking moves.
This helps establish a mood or emotional context that builds tension in the scene, even when working with static camera angles. The idea is to create seamless or continuous editing options that maintain narrative flow while capturing extended portions of performance.
Long takes are also used in single-take scenes, co-ordinating cast and crew to move through an entire action sequence without a cut. Long takes help enrich the viewing experience with an increased sense of realism while delivering a greater connection to characters onscreen.
Today’s television embraces longer takes and fluid camera motion over choppy cuts to sustain tension and realism. Directors shoot masters, multi-cam coverage and moving perspective shots in extended continuous takes. Actors time responses and blocking to unfold organically within these long takes.
The sustained in-scene pacing builds actor energy and dynamic blocking opportunities that editing later can accentuate. Cinematography flows handheld or on dollies around the authentic blocking rather than artists adjusting their performances to static cameras.
Incorporating Subjective Perspective
Cinematography enhances a show’s realism by capturing on-screen characters from their subjective perspective. This technique heightens the physical and emotional experience of events by putting viewers directly in the point of view of characters or objects to motivate scenes.
Subjective camera angles capture moments as if the audience were actually there, engaging them with an immersive environment that shows action from a character’s perspective. This creates an added layer of emotional connection to the characters, allowing audiences to experience scenes on a more intimate level.
The storytelling language of television expands by integrating more subjective camera perspectives into scenes. Shows follow characters moving through spaces in real-time via steadicam tracking shots.
Handheld cameras lend an in-scene immediacy. Point of view angles place viewers within characters’ vantage during exchanges. Shifting visual perspectives keep scenes engaging while communicating narrative themes and relationships. Cinematography draws audiences into confronting characters’ experiences and emotions directly.
Developing the Look in Post-Production
Post-production furthers the creative vision through color grading and VFX. Colorists adjust images by applying specific looks to match the director’s desired aesthetic.
This involves making subtle adjustments in exposure, contrast, saturation, highlights and shadows to develop a unique look for each episode. Cinematographers use reference photos or test footage of actors and locations to help create a specific look that translates from on-set to post-production.
Visual effects are also used in post-production, either enhancing existing footage or creating entirely new elements. VFX can be employed to subtly improve shots with the addition of backgrounds, clean up footage with compositing techniques, or even replicate a live plate completely using CGI and motion capture.
With raw camera footage ingested, directors and cinematographers fine-tune the sophisticated look leveraging advanced post-production techniques. They color grade to set visual tones, contrast and saturation that heightens mood.
Photoreal VFX extend worlds and action. They craft scene transitions and apply processing for stylistic impact. For period pieces, every detail not in frame gets digitally removed or altered – utility poles, modern cars, anything anachronistic. Post-production perfects the cinematic polish.
Influencing Acting and Performance Style
Cinematography influences how cast members approach and perform a scene. This is especially true with single takes featuring dynamic camera movements, where actors must time delivery and blocking to capture the entire performance in one take.
Actors rely on cues from directors and cinematographers to deliver their lines and actions within specific frames or sections of a long take. Cinematographers enhance directorial stage direction by leveraging camera movement to convey tone, mood and meaning.
The results are performances that feel more alive, dynamic and emotionally authentic since they weren’t created in post-production or edited from separate takes. Cinematography directly encourages a certain type of performance style where actors must perform their lines and movements with increasingly greater precision so the camera can capture it all.
Cinematic style requires performers to employ more intimate, nuanced acting calibrated for the penetrating drama of widescreen close-ups. Too much theatricality feels incongruous with subtle camerawork.
Actors gauge their performance volume to each lens size. Wider shots are played fuller while close-ups rely on fine layers of emotion in eyes and expressions. Directors may frame up test takes to help actors understand their most effective scales. Performances evolve to harness what plays best on any focal length and angle.
Making Locations Integral to Story
Cinematographers add production value and enhance storytelling with the creative use of space and locations. Through smart composition, lighting and camera angles they make a huge impact in small spaces, highlighting their importance to the story as well as blocking options for characters.
Beyond just pretty backdrops, locations become woven into the actual narrative to inform character and theme. The cityscapes of shows like Billions and Industry contribute to the ambient tension and excess.
The small town in Virgin River visually reinforces the intimacy of relationships. Saul Goodman’s office on Better Call Saul immediately conveys his imposter lawyer schtick. Series leverage locations themselves to heighten the story being told. Production design fully realizes locations for deeper meaning beyond set dressing wallpaper.
So from casting to location scouting to lighting designs and rigging through to post-production polish, the intended cinematography approach steers every creative decision in mounting an impactful television production. As more ambitious creators embrace the expanding canvas of small screen storytelling, visual techniques historically reserved for blockbuster films are now becoming fundamental components of engaging episodic television. Television cinematography continues maturing into a highly sophisticated artform that captures cultural imagination by leveraging every new tool available. The drive to innovate visually moves the entire medium forward.
Why work with C&I Studios?
At C&I Studios, we prioritize visual storytelling in our work. Our team of experienced cinematographers and editors are well-versed in pushing the boundaries of television production and can help you create a show that stands out from the crowd. We understand how to craft imagery that speaks volumes beyond what’s on the page.
Through artistic lighting, expert camera work, and creative post effects, we deliver a visually stunning presentation that will make your show stand out. We stay agile to accommodate the ever-evolving production landscape and take great pride in bringing stories to life with captivating visuals.
With C&I Studios, you can trust that your project is in the best of hands! Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help you create something that will capture the attention of viewers everywhere!
And in doing so, television cinematography has become a medium unto itself. Providing an unprecedented level of detail and emotion to stories, it offers creators a powerful tool for compelling visual storytelling. The potential is truly limitless, as there are no bounds to what kind of visuals one can craft. Whether it’s a sweeping cityscape, intimate close-up, or fantastical effects – television cinematography can bring any story to life in ways never before imagined. To craft your own unique vision of the world, look no further than C&I Studios!
Contact us today to find out how our team of experienced cinematographers and editors can bring your story to life. From script breakdown all the way through post-production, C&I Studios will help to ensure that your project is a success! We look forward to hearing from you and helping make this season of television one for the books.
Cinematography is the art of producing images and recording motion pictures. It has been used in films, television shows, and commercials for decades to capture the authenticity of a scene or emotion. This form of visual storytelling is essential for conveying important messages and creating an emotive response from viewers.
Advancements in digital filmmaking have opened unprecedented creative possibilities for television cinematography. Once bound to multi-camera studio set-ups, TV series now rival the visual sophistication of big-budget movies thanks to innovations like affordable cinema cameras and LED stages.
But beyond just enhancing the look, cinematic techniques developed for the ever-evolving small screen storytelling medium have massive influence throughout the production process. Visual approaches drive everything from location selection to lighting design to actor blocking during shoots.
Here’s how vital decisions around cinematography shape a holistic television production from start to finish.
Meanwhile, check out our other articles and blogs by clicking here.
Defining an Authentic Visual Identity
In their pursuit of storytelling excellence, television makers must define an authentic visual identity within the parameters of a given budget. For example, filmmakers may decide to shoot with handheld cameras for a more intimate feel, or opt for steady dolly shots to evoke tension. These decisions help create a distinct aesthetic that’s unique to each show.
Establishing a unique visual identity starts in pre-production as directors and cinematographers analyze the style of cinematography suited to the show’s specific world. Is the vibe gritty vérité like The Wire? Slick and contemporary like Insecure? Retro throwback like Stranger Things? Cinematic style impacts production design, location choices, wardrobe, and technical workflows.
For example, sitcoms use warmer colors, softer lighting and flatter depth of field to achieve an inviting look. Or dark crime dramas leverage cooler tones with dramatic shadows and dynamic camera moves for tension. The intended cinematography informs every creative decision in development.
Scouting Real World Inspired Locations
The right locations contribute significantly to a show’s sense of authenticity and visual appeal. To achieve this, cinematographers must carefully scout real world-inspired settings that can accommodate the technical needs of their production.
Location scouts use creative tricks to make existing spaces look bigger than they are or alter their nature for practical purposes. For instance, an alleyway can be made to appear narrower by adding foreground objects or using a telephoto lens. A park may need to be dressed up with extra foliage and seemingly arbitrary props for a more lived-in feel.
The choices cinematographers make during location scouting will directly impact the show’s visual grammar, ultimately defining its look and feel.
Instead of constructing elaborate sets, productions lean heavily on real world locations that supply authentic backdrops and realistic lighting sources. Those locations are selected for how they can be shot to advance the visual language of the project.
For city-based shows, urban spots that enable dynamic camera motion and backgrounds with depth and character get priority. Wider vistas work for sweeping western landscapes. Older architecture fits period dramas. Tech scouts photograph potential locations thinking about scene blocking and coverage to match the intended cinematography approach.
Casting Camera Conscious Actors
How an actor performs in front of the camera is a key factor in creating an authentic on-screen presence. Cinematographers and directors cast performers who know how to respond to subtle nuances of lighting, lens choice, and camera motion.
Trained actors move differently when the environment changes based on different lenses or framing angles. Similarly, cinematographers seek out talent with a naturalistic delivery. This helps create grounded moments in heightened scenarios or catch unexpected moments of emotion that are best captured off the cuff.
The goal is to capture an actor’s most compelling performance—the subtle nuances, breathless pauses, and spontaneous gestures that give a scene its authentic feel. Achieving these takes practice for both the performer and cinematographer.
The rise of naturalistic acting means performers now need to play subtly on camera for intimate close-up shots. Casting seeks actors with experience translating nuanced emotions through restrained expressions and active listening instead of theatrical overacting. Media-trained stars understand technical aspects like cheating eyelines, hitting marks, adjusting to lengths and lighting positions.
Productions schedule adequate camera testing to assess actors’ on-screen presence and chemistry from different angles before confirming casting. The right performers can seamlessly enhance the scene coverage and blocking.
Read more about casting here.
Optimizing Lighting Setups and Rigging
Lighting is key to creating an authentic visual identity. Cinematographers and DP’s use lighting techniques like backlighting, sidelighting, rim lighting, and contrasty hard shadows to emphasize facial features or evoke specific emotions.
Since productions use more practical lighting sources from locations, cinematographers determine optimal setups to supplement these natural sources and shape the desired mood. They strategically rig LED panels, overhead rigs, portable units and other gear in areas of action to craft evocative lighting schemes.
This enables the authentic motivation of light from within the set while maintaining control. Interactive lighting also facilitates the flexible 360 degree continuous shooting style of modern television. Pre-lighting also allows starting and stopping scenes quicker.
Blocking Scenes Around Planned Coverage
Cinematographers and directors plan scene coverage of action based on the intended visual grammar. They consider possible camera placements and angles that achieve the desired look with blocking around them. Scenes are staged to maximize each shot, allowing for multiple takes from several angles and establishing a greater sense of location.
This helps keep productions efficient while capturing visually rich scenes in limited time and space. Cinematographers also plan coverage for cutaways, reaction shots, and other details that add authenticity to the scene while allowing for more creative editing options in post-production.
By combining all the creative decisions made during pre-production, cinematographers work with directors to block scenes around planned coverage. This ensures they capture enough material to cut together an effective final sequence.
The rule of thumb is to shoot multiple angles and a variety of shots from each setup, while still keeping camerawork naturalistic and easy on the eye.
During shoots, blocking is dictated by the scene coverage needed to fulfill the creative vision. Directors map out all the planned angles and shot types in advance – close-ups, over-shoulders, wide masters, steadicam tracking, and more.
Actors are positioned relative to cameras and marks to optimize framing and sightlines for what will cut together editorially. For walk and talks, actors hit specific beats to time with planned tracking dolly shots. Set decorators adjust backgrounds for continuity across coverage. Everything serves the coverage.
Choosing the Right Camera Technology
Cinematographers select the most appropriate cameras for each project. Camera packages include digital cinema cameras and professional video cameras, each with its own strengths and limitations.
Broadcast-oriented shows might use smaller cameras or robotic heads for wider coverage angles and minimal set disruption. For productions that require greater latitude for color grading or extensive VFX, cinematographers might choose a digital cinema camera.
Cameras have specific formats and resolution profiles, along with diverse sensor sizes, lens options, and systems for motion control. Cinematographers also consider the desired workflow to ensure compatibility with post-production workflows in terms of color space and file type.
Production demand the latest digital cinema cameras that balance portability with high resolution, dynamic range and low light capability for a true cinematic look. Form factor is considered to enable mounting on dollies and rigs for movement.
Larger HD sensors critical for filmic depth of field are prioritized over built-in broadcast features like zoom lenses or wireless transmission. Shows also leverage technology like multi-cam arrays or LED volume stages that enable photoreal CGI environments in real-time during live capture. Camera tech enables the creative vision.
Pacing Scenes in Long Takes
Television productions often allot tight shooting windows and all-in-one setups. Cinematographers pace scenes using long takes to capture performances in their entirety, while allowing for rehearsal with blocking and tracking moves.
This helps establish a mood or emotional context that builds tension in the scene, even when working with static camera angles. The idea is to create seamless or continuous editing options that maintain narrative flow while capturing extended portions of performance.
Long takes are also used in single-take scenes, co-ordinating cast and crew to move through an entire action sequence without a cut. Long takes help enrich the viewing experience with an increased sense of realism while delivering a greater connection to characters onscreen.
Today’s television embraces longer takes and fluid camera motion over choppy cuts to sustain tension and realism. Directors shoot masters, multi-cam coverage and moving perspective shots in extended continuous takes. Actors time responses and blocking to unfold organically within these long takes.
The sustained in-scene pacing builds actor energy and dynamic blocking opportunities that editing later can accentuate. Cinematography flows handheld or on dollies around the authentic blocking rather than artists adjusting their performances to static cameras.
Incorporating Subjective Perspective
Cinematography enhances a show’s realism by capturing on-screen characters from their subjective perspective. This technique heightens the physical and emotional experience of events by putting viewers directly in the point of view of characters or objects to motivate scenes.
Subjective camera angles capture moments as if the audience were actually there, engaging them with an immersive environment that shows action from a character’s perspective. This creates an added layer of emotional connection to the characters, allowing audiences to experience scenes on a more intimate level.
The storytelling language of television expands by integrating more subjective camera perspectives into scenes. Shows follow characters moving through spaces in real-time via steadicam tracking shots.
Handheld cameras lend an in-scene immediacy. Point of view angles place viewers within characters’ vantage during exchanges. Shifting visual perspectives keep scenes engaging while communicating narrative themes and relationships. Cinematography draws audiences into confronting characters’ experiences and emotions directly.
Developing the Look in Post-Production
Post-production furthers the creative vision through color grading and VFX. Colorists adjust images by applying specific looks to match the director’s desired aesthetic.
This involves making subtle adjustments in exposure, contrast, saturation, highlights and shadows to develop a unique look for each episode. Cinematographers use reference photos or test footage of actors and locations to help create a specific look that translates from on-set to post-production.
Visual effects are also used in post-production, either enhancing existing footage or creating entirely new elements. VFX can be employed to subtly improve shots with the addition of backgrounds, clean up footage with compositing techniques, or even replicate a live plate completely using CGI and motion capture.
With raw camera footage ingested, directors and cinematographers fine-tune the sophisticated look leveraging advanced post-production techniques. They color grade to set visual tones, contrast and saturation that heightens mood.
Photoreal VFX extend worlds and action. They craft scene transitions and apply processing for stylistic impact. For period pieces, every detail not in frame gets digitally removed or altered – utility poles, modern cars, anything anachronistic. Post-production perfects the cinematic polish.
Influencing Acting and Performance Style
Cinematography influences how cast members approach and perform a scene. This is especially true with single takes featuring dynamic camera movements, where actors must time delivery and blocking to capture the entire performance in one take.
Actors rely on cues from directors and cinematographers to deliver their lines and actions within specific frames or sections of a long take. Cinematographers enhance directorial stage direction by leveraging camera movement to convey tone, mood and meaning.
The results are performances that feel more alive, dynamic and emotionally authentic since they weren’t created in post-production or edited from separate takes. Cinematography directly encourages a certain type of performance style where actors must perform their lines and movements with increasingly greater precision so the camera can capture it all.
Cinematic style requires performers to employ more intimate, nuanced acting calibrated for the penetrating drama of widescreen close-ups. Too much theatricality feels incongruous with subtle camerawork.
Actors gauge their performance volume to each lens size. Wider shots are played fuller while close-ups rely on fine layers of emotion in eyes and expressions. Directors may frame up test takes to help actors understand their most effective scales. Performances evolve to harness what plays best on any focal length and angle.
Making Locations Integral to Story
Cinematographers add production value and enhance storytelling with the creative use of space and locations. Through smart composition, lighting and camera angles they make a huge impact in small spaces, highlighting their importance to the story as well as blocking options for characters.
Beyond just pretty backdrops, locations become woven into the actual narrative to inform character and theme. The cityscapes of shows like Billions and Industry contribute to the ambient tension and excess.
The small town in Virgin River visually reinforces the intimacy of relationships. Saul Goodman’s office on Better Call Saul immediately conveys his imposter lawyer schtick. Series leverage locations themselves to heighten the story being told. Production design fully realizes locations for deeper meaning beyond set dressing wallpaper.
So from casting to location scouting to lighting designs and rigging through to post-production polish, the intended cinematography approach steers every creative decision in mounting an impactful television production. As more ambitious creators embrace the expanding canvas of small screen storytelling, visual techniques historically reserved for blockbuster films are now becoming fundamental components of engaging episodic television. Television cinematography continues maturing into a highly sophisticated artform that captures cultural imagination by leveraging every new tool available. The drive to innovate visually moves the entire medium forward.
Why work with C&I Studios?
At C&I Studios, we prioritize visual storytelling in our work. Our team of experienced cinematographers and editors are well-versed in pushing the boundaries of television production and can help you create a show that stands out from the crowd. We understand how to craft imagery that speaks volumes beyond what’s on the page.
Through artistic lighting, expert camera work, and creative post effects, we deliver a visually stunning presentation that will make your show stand out. We stay agile to accommodate the ever-evolving production landscape and take great pride in bringing stories to life with captivating visuals.
With C&I Studios, you can trust that your project is in the best of hands! Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help you create something that will capture the attention of viewers everywhere!
And in doing so, television cinematography has become a medium unto itself. Providing an unprecedented level of detail and emotion to stories, it offers creators a powerful tool for compelling visual storytelling. The potential is truly limitless, as there are no bounds to what kind of visuals one can craft. Whether it’s a sweeping cityscape, intimate close-up, or fantastical effects – television cinematography can bring any story to life in ways never before imagined. To craft your own unique vision of the world, look no further than C&I Studios!
Contact us today to find out how our team of experienced cinematographers and editors can bring your story to life. From script breakdown all the way through post-production, C&I Studios will help to ensure that your project is a success! We look forward to hearing from you and helping make this season of television one for the books.