Focal lengths are an essential aspect of cinematography that doesn’t grab headlines, but it’s fundamental in telling stories in visually compelling ways. Let’s demystify this concept and explore its pivotal role in filmmaking.
What is Focal Length?
Focal length, measured in millimeters, determines the lens’s angle of view and, subsequently, how much of the scene is captured. It’s the distance from the lens to the image sensor when the subject is in focus.
This might sound technical, but its implications are profoundly artistic. In essence, focal length influences how we, as viewers, perceive the cinematic world – from grand, sprawling landscapes to the intimate nuances of a character’s emotions.
To know more, watch this video:
How Focal Lengths make an “Emotional” Lens
Directors and cinematographers wield focal lengths like painters use brushes. Each choice brings a different emotion, perspective, and story to life. E.g., wide angle lenses immerse viewers in the environment, establishing a sense of place or disorientation, depending on the narrative context.
They’re excellent for vast landscapes or when the goal is to make characters appear isolated or overwhelmed by their surroundings.
On the flip side, telephoto lenses compress space and bring distant objects closer, often used to focus tightly on characters, isolating them from their environment and emphasizing their emotions.
The background blur (bokeh) that accompanies these lenses adds a layer of intimacy, making personal moments more poignant.
Crafting Visual Stories
Great directors often have a signature focal length that aligns with their storytelling style.
Quentin Tarantino, for example, favors the extreme close-up, using tight shots to heighten tension and draw viewers into the characters’ psychological states.
Meanwhile, Wes Anderson’s symmetrical compositions and flat space aesthetics are achieved through specific focal lengths that enhance his unique narrative style.
Focal length affects not just composition and storytelling but also the technical aspects of filmmaking. It influences exposure, depth of field, and even the camera’s stabilization requirements.
Cinematographers must juggle these technical considerations while ensuring that the focal length choice serves the story and director’s vision.
Why is the focal length so important?
At its core, focal length is about perspective – not just in the physical sense but in how stories are told and experienced.
It’s a tool for filmmakers to direct the audience’s attention, evoke emotions, and immerse them in the narrative world. In the hands of a skilled cinematographer, the subtle manipulation of focal length can turn a simple shot into a memorable cinematic moment, proving that sometimes the most powerful storytelling tools are the ones we don’t see.
While focal length might seem like a mere technical detail, its impact on cinematography is profound. It shapes how stories are told, how characters are perceived, and how audiences engage with the film.
In the following video I go into detail on the focal lengths used by great directors. Please watch it first:
Specific lenses mentioned in the video:
- Zeiss 50mm f/0.7 adapted for Barry Lyndon (37.5mm with wide-angle adapter). Check out lenses with large apertures here: Amazon, B&H.
- Kinoptik 9.8mm. Find similar lenses here: Amazon, B&H
- Cine-Pro 24-480mm T9 zoom lens. Here are some cine lenses with greater than a 10x zoom ratio.
Focal lengths and lenses used by great directors
Here’s the list of directors and their preferred focal lengths:
S. No. | Director | Focal length, Lens |
1 | Orson Welles | 18mm (Touch of Evil), 25mm (Citizen Kane) |
2 | Jean-Pierre Jeunet | 18 an 25mm lens, 14mm (Alien Resurrection), 25mm (Delicatessen) |
3 | Roman Polanski | 18mm, 40mm anamorphic (Chinatown) |
4 | Wes Anderson | 40mm anamorphic, 27mm (The Royal Tenebaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel) |
5 | Quentin Tarantino | 40mm or 50mm anamorphic |
6 | Steven Spielberg | 21mm |
7 | Tim Burton | 21mm, never beyond 50mm. Long lenses as a punctuation |
8 | Martin Scorsese | 25mm and wider, 32mm (The King of Comedy), long lenses for Raging Bull |
9 | Joel and Ethan Coen | 27 and 32mm (Stays between 25-40mm) |
10 | David Cronenberg | 27mm |
11 | David Fincher | 27mm and 35mm |
12 | Francis Ford Coppola | 40mm (Most of Godfather) |
13 | Yasujiro Ozu | 50mm |
14 | Robert Bresson | 50mm |
15 | Alfred Hitchcock | 50mm |
16 | Ridley Scott | 75mm and longer, zoom lens – anamorphic. Eventually shifted to spherical |
17 | Akira Kurosawa | 35-50mm, tended towards longer lenses in late career, but occasionally |
18 | Sidney Lumet | Changed focal lengths for every movie |
19 | Stanley Kubrick | 18mm, Special lenses – Kinoptik 9.8mm, Zeiss 50mm f/0.7, Cine-Pro 24-480mm T9 zoom |
20 | Terry Gilliam | 14mm (later work), earlier work is wider than 28mm |
21 | Steven Soderbergh | 18mm (only recent work) |
22 | Mikhail Kalatozov | 9.8mm Kinoptic for 90 percent of the film, and the other lens was just an 18mm |
23 | Terrence Malick | 14mm-25mm |
24 | Christopher Nolan | 65mm/IMAX – 50mm has become the wide lens, the 80mm the tighter lens, almost all of Memento and Insomnia on a 75mm E-Series lens, Batman Anamorphic – workhorse was the 50mm |
Here’s another in-depth video on the focal lengths used by Akira Kurosawa:
In the art of filmmaking, the choice of focal length is a crucial element that great directors use to shape their narratives. The focal length of a lens determines its angle of view, thus influencing how a scene is captured and perceived by the audience.
Wide-angle lenses, typically less than 35mm, are known for their expansive field of view. Directors use these lenses to create a sense of vastness or to capture large-scale scenes. The distortion they introduce at the edges can also be used creatively to give a surreal or disorienting effect, as seen in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” where wide shots contribute to the eerie atmosphere of the Overlook Hotel.
Wide angles are also favored for their ability to exaggerate spatial relationships, which directors like Wes Anderson exploit for stylistic effect.
Standard lenses, around 50mm, are often described as mimicking the human eye’s natural field of view. They provide a balanced perspective without the distortion of wide-angle lenses or the flattening effect of telephoto lenses.
Directors like Quentin Tarantino often use standard lenses for dialogue-driven scenes to create a sense of intimacy and immediacy. The neutrality of these lenses helps in maintaining focus on character interactions and expressions, as evident in the intense diner scenes in “Pulp Fiction.”
Telephoto lenses, with focal lengths over 70mm, are used for their ability to compress and flatten space. This effect can isolate subjects from their background, creating a sense of intimacy or claustrophobia.
Alfred Hitchcock famously used this to great effect in “Vertigo” during the dolly zoom shots, where the changing focal length created a disorienting vertigo effect. Telephoto lenses are also used for capturing details from a distance, allowing directors to focus on specific elements without disturbing the natural flow of the scene.
Additionally, the choice of focal length can also influence the depth of field. Directors like Steven Spielberg use deep focus (achieved with shorter focal lengths) to keep multiple planes in a scene sharp, as seen in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” where both foreground and background details are crucial.
In contrast, shallow depth of field (associated with longer focal lengths) can be used to draw attention to a particular subject, as used by Christopher Nolan in “The Dark Knight” to focus on characters’ emotions.
In conclusion, the selection of focal length is a powerful tool in a filmmaker’s arsenal. It is more than just a technical decision; it’s a creative choice that impacts the narrative, mood, and visual style of a film. From the surreal expanses created by wide-angle lenses to the intimate focus of telephoto lenses, the mastery of focal lengths is a hallmark of great directors who use this element to bring their unique visions to life.
If you know the focal lengths preferred by directors I’ve left out, please let me know. Please also link to sources so I can confirm the information. I’ll be happy to update this list.
4 replies on “The Focal Lengths and Lenses used by Great Directors”
Seeing the scenes and getting the audience to feel the emotion you are they to convey. It’s a mental visualization process built with feeling the scene. Then the focal length needed will present itself.
At least this is how I do it . I don’t make movies but shoot live music,live events make music videos and have just started into documentaries.
Thank you! You’re right, it’s all about the emotions.
As a university lecturer in cinematography I find your online resources to be among the very best. I also have 35 years experience behind the camera so I can verify your information. Well done and keep it up!
Thank you!