Talking About “Lens Character”, Finding the Right Words – a Video Series by Tito Ferradans

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by Alexandra Thompson7 days ago

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If you have ever found yourself talking about lenses and realizing you don’t quite have the right words, you’re not alone. “Lens character” is often used to describe a general impression rather than something concrete, blending qualities like softness, flare, or background behavior, without clearly defining what is actually being seen. In this series of videos titled Anamorphic Cookbook – Module 4, Tito Ferradans sets out to demystify that idea, focusing on anamorphic lenses and breaking down optical behavior into recognizable elements such as aberrations, flares, and image coverage. The goal is not just to identify these traits, but to help filmmakers build a clearer vocabulary for describing what lenses do and why certain images look the way they do.

The series is presented by Tito Ferradans, a CineD contributor who also develops filmmaking courses for MZed, CineD’s subscription platform. Tito has created several in-depth courses, including Anamorphic Cookbook Part 1 and Part 2, plus Anamorfake It Until You Make It. This YouTube video series sits alongside that work, focusing specifically on building clearer language around lens behavior and how it’s perceived on screen.

Each video in the series looks at a different piece of the puzzle, starting with optical behavior, moving into flares and coatings, and finally to how image circles and sensor formats shape the result. Throughout the series, visual examples are shown using DZOFilm PAVO and VESPID anamorphic lenses, which serve as practical reference points for the optical behaviors being discussed.

Video 1 – “Stop Saying ‘Character’: How to Describe What Your Lenses Actually Do”

The first video lays the groundwork by stepping back from specific lens choices and focusing instead on how we talk about lenses in general. While the discussion is rooted in anamorphic optics, the goal is not to single them out, but to use them as a familiar context for building a shared vocabulary around lens behavior. The emphasis is on giving filmmakers clearer language for what they are seeing, so personal preferences, whether that means creaminess, softness, or something else, can be expressed more precisely.

From there, the video explores how optical behavior shapes what is often described as character, including the distinction between highly corrected, clinical lenses and designs that leave aberrations visible. Rather than treating these traits as flaws, the discussion frames them as characteristics that define how an image feels, helping viewers connect visual impressions with commonly used optical terms and understand how those elements interact.

Video 2 – “The Science of Flares: Coatings Uncovered”

The second video takes a practical look at how lens coatings influence flare behavior, treating flares not as abstract “character,” but as the result of concrete optical decisions. Tito walks through the history and physics behind flares, then breaks down the different flare types as a shared vocabulary, showing how each behaves on screen. By connecting flare behavior to coating choices, including single and multi-coated designs and their visual effects, the video offers a clear framework for understanding and discussing flares as part of lens design rather than stylistic accidents.

Video 3 – “Image Circles, Coverage & Crop: How Sensors Shape Your Shot”

The third video steps back from lens design and looks at how image circles, sensor size, and aspect ratio interact beyond marketing terms. By moving through what an image circle actually is and how different film and digital formats have evolved, Tito shows how coverage and cropping change what a lens really delivers. Rather than treating format labels as fixed definitions, the video emphasizes how modern cameras interpret those standards differently, helping explain why the same lens can behave differently depending on how much of its image circle is actually being used.

From character to a clear, shared language

Taken together, the three videos (with a fourth one on the way) offer a way to move past vague descriptions and toward a shared language for talking about lenses, particularly anamorphics, but with ideas that apply more broadly. Rather than telling filmmakers what to like, the series focuses on helping them recognize what they are seeing and how to describe it more clearly, whether that means optical behavior, flare response, or format-related choices. For those who want to explore further, Tito’s broader work and related modules can be found under our own MZed courses and on his Anamorphic on a Budget website, where these topics are expanded in more detail.

Have you ever struggled to explain why one lens feels right for a project while another does not? When you describe a lens as having “character,” which specific optical traits are you responding to? Let us know in the comments below!