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The Art Direction Handbook for Film
horizontal value as the 2.40 : 1 AR. Obviously, format doesn’t necessarily dictate the width of a set—a Normal Academy aperture might require as wide a set, depending on the design and composition required by the cinematographer and director.
Perspective 101 This final application of depth of field, aperture, and aspect ratio can now be explained in graphic terms. One-point perspective tells us that all outlines of object surfaces in the picture plane converge to the same vanishing point on the horizon—this is called convergence. From this we can draw a parallel in terms of how the focal length of a lens determines the degree of convergence in a photographic image. An art director can use the angle of view for a lens to determine graphically the degree of convergence in a perspective set drawing. Any perspective drawing can be made to represent what any given lens would see in terms of its focal length and its degree of convergence. Harold Michelson, the storyboard artist represented in Figs. 3-6A and 3-6B, clearly saw this relationship and devised a system of perspective drawing for cinematography called camera angle projection.12 At first glance, this process seems complicated and overwhelming, but once the fundamental concept of the system is understood, it is logical, methodical, and foolproof. A working knowledge of drafting and a basic understanding of cinematography (briefly presented here) will enable anyone’s skill at this kind of informative perspective drawing. Since Harold devised this system, its concept has been translated into the 3D modeling programs we use in the art department today, e.g., 3D Studio Max, Maya, SoftImage, etc.—animatic programs use the concept of this system as well, as shown in Figs. 3-7A through 3-7D.
Lens Test Fig. 3-14 displays a series of lens tests taken to determine the best establishing shot for the scenery elevation photographed in the example. A previously drawn landscape plan was used to reference general distances from the front porch overhang. Subsequent lens tests were taken at 18 mm at 120', 25 mm at 130', 35 mm at 190', and 50 mm at 284'. Close inspection of the photo samples reveal more foreground detail with the widest lens shown, although there is greater background detail and texture in the photo shot with the 50 mm lens. The director-design team made an appropriate decision based on this information and what would best forward the storytelling. The journey from hand-drawn to digital model design and how it becomes physical and digitally derived scenery will continue to be the focus of the next few chapters. It will draw on modes of motion picture production in-studio and in-camera through basic concepts of optical lab processes, and by doing so, will connect us to twenty-first century film design.