Glossary · Cinematography

Depth of field

Also called deep focus, shallow focus

The range of distance in a shot that appears acceptably sharp.

The range of distance in a shot that appears acceptably sharp.

It is controlled by aperture, focal length and distance to the subject. Shallow focus isolates a face; deep focus keeps foreground and background sharp together, as in Citizen Kane (1941), shot by Gregg Toland.

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