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Everything on Cutlight Field Notes, organised by topic.

Camera & Light

A Practical Camera Test Workflow — A camera test should answer written production questions with controlled, labelled footage and a decision report.
Depth of Field as a Storytelling Choice — Depth of field controls how much space around the focus distance appears acceptably sharp.
Exposure Tools for Cinematography — Expose cinematography with tools documented for the exact camera and monitor, not by monitor appearance alone.
How to Build Motivated Lighting for a Scene — Build motivated lighting by connecting production light to a visible or implied story source such as a window, lamp, screen, or hallway.
Shot Sizes: A Visual Storytelling Guide — Film shot sizes control how much of a subject and its surroundings the audience can see.
Shutter Angle and Motion Blur Explained — Shutter angle or shutter speed sets each frame’s exposure time and therefore affects motion blur.
How to Test Focal Length and Perspective — Test focal length and perspective by defining a scene question, recording every setup, and comparing lenses under controlled conditions.
White Balance for Mixed-Light Scenes — White-balance a mixed-light scene by identifying important sources and deciding which subject or source is the colour reference.

Color Correction vs. Grading: A Clean Workflow — Color correction establishes a dependable technical and visual baseline by interpreting camera inputs correctly, balancing exposure and white balance, and…
Dialogue Scene Coverage That Cuts Together — Dialogue coverage should protect the scene’s geography, performances, story information, reactions, overlaps, transitions, and sound.
How to Edit Dialogue for Performance — Edit dialogue by mapping each performance’s objectives, turns, reactions, overlaps, silences, and physical actions before selecting individual lines.
How to Shoot and Edit a Match on Action — A match on action carries one movement across a cut between angles.
How to Find a Scene’s Pace in the Edit — Find a scene’s pace by mapping its information, actions, performance turns, tension, and release before trimming.
Screen Direction and the 180-Degree Rule — The 180-degree rule keeps cameras on one side of a line between characters or along movement so eye lines and left–right screen direction remain…