The place to discuss, share content and offer advice and tips on all things lighting, framing, cameras, lenses and technique
Hey DPs!
I came across a great StudioBinder video recently about establishing shots, and it got me thinking about how much storytelling power can be packed into a single frame.
Traditionally, establishing shots were used to tell audiences where and when a scene takes place. But the best ones do so muc...
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This is a popular phrase among people who want their footage to look more movie like, but it's very vague; how does one define what is "cinematic" when there are so many different visual styles in film?
It's clearly not a specific camera movement; there are a lot of compelling shots using static came...
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This phrase has bothered me for years because it gets used as a shortcut for "good" without anyone agreeing on what it actually means.
For me, "cinematic" is not a look at all. It is intention made vis...
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That echoes my opinion on the subject as well; starting with the fact that "more cinematic" can't actually mean anything without completing the phrase (more cinematic than what?), every time I've hear...
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RB had a great breakdown this week on approaching stars with a script, and one part of it is worth pulling out specifically for this lounge.
His core idea is what he calls the "and what" game. A script alon...
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Sitting here minding my own business (read: doing VFX wizardry like a responsible adult), when the sky opens up and a hailstorm comes crashing down like Zeus found my search history. Colossal. Loud. Spectacular. The kind of “holy shit” weather you only ever get when you’re not ready for it.
So I do t...
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That depends. I love camera coffins. Simply put, they are blanket-lined totes that will fit a fully kitted camera and protect it from damage. I set my camera up the night or day before a shoot, especi...
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The latest phones now take very nice videos/photos, why not use your phone?
I did use my phone Minh Nguyen and and my partner with a GoPro when hell broke loose. The footage might work for Instagram, but it's useless as stock or anything deliverable. 5.6k mp4 doesn't hold a c...
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Hey everyone, I finally found a working service for downloading videos from Instagram, because until now I'd tried a bunch of different sites — some required app installations, others left watermarks,...
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Hi Folks,
It has been a while since I last posted anything. Thankfully, I've been filming!
I recently shot a film set on a farm, where all the action takes place over the course of a single day. All the locations were exterior, with the only cover being a small barn with three outward-facing stalls an...
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Great breakdown -- and the choice to lean into the color temperature split rather than fight it is exactly the right instinct for that environment. Barnwood and warm tungsten-balanced light have a nat...
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We used the track on five separate setups and used the full 20' in all but one on the day, ultimately deciding to cut in late to a shot or cut out early in the edit. Two of the shots couldn't have bee...
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Cristian Mungiu's Fjord took the Palme d'Or, his second win after 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in 2007. From a cinematography standpoint, Mungiu's films are always visually precise and worth discussing.
Pawlikowski and cinematographer Łukasz Żal created composit...
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Thanks Lindsay Thompson - was just reading an interview with Fjord's cinematographer (posted about it in the lounge) - you've prompted me to seek out more on Łukasz Żal, as well. cheers...
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That's a great win for Mungiu, and the praise for Pawlikowski and Żal's work is no surprise given their track record of making every frame feel painterly and inevitable. The Kodak stat about twenty pr...
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Something I do not hear discussed enough in cinematography circles is the value of still photography as a foundational practice -- not as a hobby, but as a deliberate tool for developing your eye.
Moving image work can mask a lot of weaknesses. The camera is always moving, the edit covers gaps, and t...
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I agree with our colleague's point of view, and I would like to add that, as someone who started out in professional photography, this was crucial for my visual development. I like to think of a still...
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I agree; my visual art focus was stills before I started getting into cinematography. I got my first feature film gig as DoP because of my photography portfolio.
I completely agree, and still photography forces you to make a single frame work without movement or sound, which builds a discipline that transfers directly to cinematography. Have you found that sti...
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Japanese cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa received the Pierre Angénieux Tribute at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 22nd — becoming only the second woman and the first Japanese cinematographer to receive the lifetime achievement honor in its thirteen-year history. With over 70 feature film credits...
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When done right, which is challenging because it's a tough shot to pull off, it's very cool.
here's the TL;DR:
Great AFC interview with cinematographer Tudor Vladimir Panduru, RSC, on his work with Cristian Mungiu on Fjord. One thing that stood out to me is how deliberately restrained the cinematography is: long wide shots, observational distance, natural light, warm interiors against cold N...
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In the post forum this came up related to editing, but it's something that should be addressed in pre-production so that the editor isn't forced to flip shots to avoid misusing the 180 degree rule.
That said, nobody is perfect; if the project is big enough, some will slip through no matter how carefu...
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