PART 3 Visualizing the Story Dealing with a Limited Depth of Field FIGURE 8.6 When a limited depth of field creates problems (A), here are a few solutions: the aperture is stopped down (a higher f-stop number), the depth of field will increase (B). If there is not enough depth to cover two peo- ple (C), it is possible to split focus (D). However, both subjects may be slightly soft-focused. Wide-angle lenses have a much wider depth of field than a telephoto lens (E). The closer the camera is to the subject, the shallower the depth of field. By moving the camera farther back, a wider depth of field will be created. However, the subject will be smaller. (Camera photo courtesy of Panasonic) If 134 Depth of field continually changes as you focus at different distances, select different lenses, or zoom in or out. This is something you quickly become accustomed to, but it can't be ignored. Focusing is much easier in longer shots and more complicated with close-up shots. You shoot two people speaking, yet can get a sharp image of only one of them at a time. In very large close-ups, focusing can be so critical that only part of a subject is sharp, while the rest is com- pletely defocused. Figure 8.5 illustrates some of the solutions to this dilemma. Camera Moves There are a couple of things that you'll need to think about as a camera operator when moving the camera: Always check around you to make sure that you don't run over cables, bump into the set or props, move in front of other cameras, or run into people. When part of a multicamera production, make sure that you have enough cable by ensuring that you have sufficient slack before the move begins. Never pull a cable that has a tight loop in it. Cables can be easily damaged. PRODUCTION FORMAT STYLES Camera operators working on a single-camera production have many different responsibili- ties than those working on a multicamera shoot. Multicamera camera operators usually have someone in the control room adjusting their camera's aperture (so that the image quality is the same as the other cameras involved in the production) and a director telling them exactly what he or she wants, in real time. Single-camera production camera operators have to