28.01.2018
What is the difference between a wide and long lens?
To me -and this might seem extremely obvious- a wide lens has a more "objective" character compared to the long lens. There is something subjective about the narrow field of view of the long lens, as well as the "optical enlargement" of the bokeh which enhances the difference between in and out of focus planes. A long lens is a tool to isolate something very specific whereas the wide lens shows it unfiltered.
Shooting a close up with a wide angle lens is uncomfortable. Not only does the resulting image feel "odd", as a camera operator you'll also have to invade your subject's personal "bubble" so-to-speak. This has an influence on the subject. Whether that can be a good thing or always a bad thing, in absolute terms, I do not and won't probably ever know; it always depends on the context.
I have forced myself to shoot with wide angle lenses for a while now. I've gotten to know them very well. I've often shot entire projects on a single wide one, just for the sake of principle.
I don't like to mix and match focal lengths within a scene. To me it breaks continuity, flow. I only do it when the bits of time within a scene are of a fractured nature. But whenever a fluid continuum in space/time is the goal, I will avoid mixing at all cost.
Lately I've been drawn to slightly longer -I think you would call them medium- lenses. They seem to offer the best of both worlds: a subtle balance between subjectivity and objectivity. For some reason I can't let go of the idea of using a single lens. There is some kind of simplicity to it as well as a sense of uniformity: I think it can help with the effect of invisibility. The medium lens has just enough of that poetic, subjective quality of the long lens in combination with the objectivity of the wide lens. It allows the author to guide the viewer's attention as well as offer a level of freedom and objective representation of space.
If there is one thing a good cinematographer or filmmaker has to be able to do, it is to yield the ability to suspend its viewer's disbelief. Everything we do with moving images is subjected to the goal of believing the dream. In a way, this means that as an image creator, the technique or style has to be invisible in order not to draw the attention of the viewer towards it. If it does, the dream is broken.
So then this following thought pops into my head.
A lens, too wide, too objective and the viewer doesn't know where to look, or might become distracted by something in the frame that doesn't necessarily belong there. Another lens, too long, too subjective and focused might insult the viewer's own capacity to find the story within the frame as well as suspend the belief in the image because of the unnatural optical telephoto effect. I believe that one must allow for a modicum of "freedom" for the viewer in order to keep them on the line. If it takes no effort at all from their side, the story is boring. If it takes too much effort, they won't be able to comprehend it and formulate a form of meaning from it.
And thus it is my belief that a delicate balance must be struck entirely depending on the context of the story. And whether you do it on a wide, medium or long lens, that's entirely up to you!
To end this bit of jibberish I would like to draw some attention the fact that every lens has a unique character of which depth of field plays the most prominent part. I would also like to stress the importance of the influence of the size of the image plane, sensor or film. I personally like a large image plane because it allows one to use a wide to medium style lens while also retaining a very shallow depth of field. This allows for medium shots that "feel" like close ups. This being especially important when experiencing viewing conditions in theaters or bigger displays in homes. There is less and less need for the big close up nowadays. A big close up on a very large screen makes me feel ill, literally. I prefer to leave some room to breathe so that an audiencecan create the big close up whenever they see fit themselves. In my head it helps to leave just enough freedom to keep the viewer invested and not dumb it down or make people phyiscially ill.