Lesson 6: Introduction to Lenses
A lesson that teaches lens choice as an expressive tool, showing how focal length tells stories, and reminding students that any technical choice is guided by a creative vision.
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Start by repeating topics and vocabulary introduced in the assigned reading, and using the images below to allow students to point out optical phenomena on screen.
Show students this comparison between lenses to further solidify the understanding of the difference between wide, normal and long lenses.
Remind students that there is no such thing as a perfect lens. In fact, cinematographers often deliberately degrade lenses for narrative effects, and the next scene from The Assassination of Jesse James demonstrates this.
Ask: why is a lens needed? Show an image created with a pinhole camera and ask students to point out reasons for using a lens that are evident in the image.
