How Great Directors Frame and Move the Camera

I'm completely self-taught. I learn film making by reverse engineering DVD's of movies and doco's in my head as I watch them play. Figuring out how the scenes are lit. What crane was used and how it tracked. Where the camera was placed. What lenses were used and why? How the actors moved. How the scene was composed.

The second source has been reading every ASC magazine from cover to cover and then reading them again.

The third source has been watching "The making of" docos that are often included on DVD's. And reading any books that come with the film. I now have a great and growing collection of these books mainly purchased used from Amazon and library surplus book sales.

The fourth source has been watching YouTube-style videos from web sites like Stan Winston School of Character Arts, BAFTA, Weta Workshop, etc and today Wolfcrow.

So here is a great video description from Wolfcrow of some of Roger Deakins methods. Roger is probably my favourite cinematographer.

And work by Christopher Nolan.

And Ridley Scott - a master of quick setups.

And focal lengths and lenses.