Visual References

Perhaps because I learned still photography before ever picking up a video camera, I approach videography from a pretty formal standpoint. I don't like it when a movie is shot totally handheld, because it usually feels a little lazy to me. I hate unnecessary camera movement (I'm looking at you, Inglourious Basterds 360 shots). I love long takes, careful compositions, and character-driven shots. Here are a few examples of shots that inspire me.

Wide Shots

I love shots that emphasize a character's place in his/her environment. There Will Be Blood used these shots a lot- the barren, unforgiving landscape dominates the mood of the film.





My guess is that TWBB is going to come up a lot this semester, and with good reason. It's an amazing-looking movie, and I think its influence will be discussed a lot amongst filmmakers my age. I should also mention that I really love the ultra-wide aspect ratio. It opens up the space for characters to move and "breathe" and gives cinematographers a lot of room to play with.

There's a shot from Fargo I want to use, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. William H. Macy's character is walking through a snowy parking lot, surrounded by only the white snow and the tall black streetlights, photographed from a very high angle. It's stunning.

Character-driven shots

There's a special place in my heart for shots that slow down and focus on a single character for a moment. Sometimes, something extreme has happened or is about to happen; other times, the director is giving us a moment to try and get inside the character's head. Mad Men uses these shots all the time.




Here's another shot from Fargo. In related news, Roger Deakins is the man.




Here's the close-up taken to ridiculous new levels. In some ways, this sequence (from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) isn't even about character- it's about style for style's sake. That can be pretty lame, but it's awesome here. Sergio Leone mixes ultra-wide shots with extreme close-ups and lets the sequence run long. It lasts forever, but the bold move pays off. It's hilarious, fun, and- as the conclusion of a two-and-a-half-hour-long movie, so tense it's excruciating. Dig that Morricone score!



Tracking Shots

The movement of a good tracking shot breathes life into a film. As we move with the characters, we are brought deeper into their world. The final shot of The 400 Blows is a masterpiece, but it loses its power when taken out of context. (You should watch The 400 Blows, though.) Here's an infamous example from The Shining. Kubrick frames this shot from an extremely low angle, forcing the audience to see things from a child's perspective. The hotel looks impossibly huge from down here, and you feel totally helpless. Check it out:



There's another tracking shot I wanted to use from Do the Right Thing, but I can't find it on youtube.

I'm jazzed for this semester, and I'm ready to start shooting.