Field of View
Field of view is the angular extent of the scene captured by a given combination of lens and sensor.
What this is about
When a director asks for wider, they are asking about field of view — millimeters are just the handle crews grab it by. The angle decides how much of a location must look good, how close the camera physically sits to actors, and whether the lighting rig above the set edge stays out of frame. Location scouts think in it: a room that plays spacious at 75 degrees collapses at 30. Because the same lens gives different angles on different sensors, serious planning names the format alongside the millimeters.
A term only helps when everyone on set means the same thing by it — so what follows is how it is used, not a dictionary definition.
What runs differently here
Where this differs from the general case:
- Field of view is a property of the pairing — quote it as lens plus sensor, never as a lens alone.
- Horizontal, vertical and diagonal angles differ; spec sheets love the flattering diagonal number.
- Wide angles cost art department money: more visible set to dress, more floor to hide cables in.
With TillyGen
TillyGen's shot list pairs lens and format per shot, so the field of view every department preps for is the one the camera will actually see.
Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.
Frequently asked
Why do crews say millimeters instead of degrees?
Habit and hardware: lenses are labeled in millimeters. Within one known format the shorthand works; across formats it breaks, and degrees or a crop conversion take over.
How long does it take to get started with TillyGen?
A first project takes under an hour to set up. There is no configuration phase in which templates and fields have to be defined before the tool produces anything.
Can the results be exported?
Yes — as PDF for the crew, CSV for downstream systems and through the API for anything automated. The plan stays the source; the exports are views of it.