CLASSROOM: Determining The Best Lens for Your Project1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minute
Written by Zach Ramelan
As a storyteller, I’m constantly trying to determine what focal length works best to evoke a particular emotion in a scene. If the character knows something the audience doesn’t, do I shoot my scene on a wide 16mm or a telephoto 200mm? If my character is claustrophobic or afraid, what focal length best represents that emotion?
In this tutorial, I break down some of cinema’s most-used focal lengths (16mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 100mm, and 200mm) and explore which work best to communicate the message I’m trying to get across with the scene.
Below, I’ve detailed the emotions each lens conjures along with a corresponding set of images. If you’re interested in learning a little more about my experience shooting with these lenses, check out this video.
Disclaimer: the following article is based completely on my personal opinion, so nothing here is by any means an industry standard. Your emotional reactions may be completely different, but stopping to think about them is a good exercise.
Image credit: Zach Ramelan
