PHOTOCERATOPS

"Cinema and photography walk hand in hand."

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The Aviator (2004);

One of Scorsese's and DiCaprio's best partnerships was in this biopic which tells the tale of Howard Hughes, the troubled man who made things fly. Scorsese carefully designed each year in the film to mimic the way a colour film from that time period would look. This was achieved mainly through digitally enhanced post-production techniques. Scorsese recreated the look of "Cinecolor" and two-strip "Technicolor". It is particularly noticeable in a scene where Howard Hughes meets Errol Flynn in a club and orders a meal in which the peas appear a blue or turquoise colour - the same as old two-strip Technicolor. As Howard ages throughout the film, the colour changes with him to become more full bodied and sophisticated. I think this is a fantastic use of colour to not only present a metaphor but to also place the film in the context of the time period. Fantastico! 

[quentintarrantino-archive]

"This is Constantine. John Constantine. Asshole." 

[holdonbabybear]

Fantastic cinematography in “Constantine”.

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Alien (1979); 

This is the classic Sci-Fi movie, with a realistic take on an Alien encounter. What I love about this movie is looking at all the carefully designed elements to make a futuristic scene. The clinically white interior of the ship seems safe and secure at first, but as the intruder slips away the ship becomes a labyrinth of shadows. The camera gets closer and closer to Ripley as the claustrophobia sets in, adding tension and suspense. Never underestimate the power of the close up!

[holdonbabybear]

"The Fall" is now one of my favourite movies ever. 28 real locations, 4 years in the making. More Of a work of art than a film.

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One of the best uses of surreal cinematography I have ever seen.

[lordeddardstark]

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Growth, decay and transformation in "Breaking Bad".

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Man of Steel (2013);

The newest Superman adaptation has been released ready to fill stockings and sit beneath trees this December, so I decided to give it a look. Zack Snyder delivers visual excellence again on an even more epic scale, but the film relies on this far too much! Seriously lacking in decent storyline and anything other than bass-pounding action scenes, the film fell short of brilliance. Sad really, how much hollywood relies on high budget special effects, rather than meaningful and clever cinematography. So they say, if as much time had been spent on filming as it was spent on advertising, every film would be fantastic!

[photoceratops]

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005);

Just a quick post today about this lovely novel adaptation. Cinematographer Dion Beebe gave special attention to the lighting of the film to show narrative progression. He says: 

"Young Chiyo arrives frightened and scared in this strange house. We wanted it to feel dark and mysterious to capture how it must have felt to this young child. Then, as Chiyo gains confidence and control in her life, light starts to come in. Very subtly, we used this metaphor: the interior opens up and reveals the transformation from young girl to woman to geisha. This was a combination of lighting effects and set design. Sliding screens are closed at the beginning but open as the film progresses, and panels change from solid wood to reed, paper and glass."

[lemonshavedice]

Drive - Elevator Scene

Wow, this scene was fantastic. It went from pure tenderness to brutal merciless violence in the blink of an eye. I loved the way he put his hand in her shirt and then kisses her. He looks at her knowing what he was about to do might change the way she feels about him. She backs out of the elevator and they look at each other, she’s now fully aware of his darkness. The way the camera focuses on the scorpion on the back of his jacket made it seem like it were alive.

[holdonbabybear]

The change in lighting…

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Fight Club (1999);

After falling head-first into the short novel by Chuck Palahniuk, I revisited this film to find that David Fincher captured everything perfectly. The pathetic existence of the nameless narrator is created through sickly green rooms and slow dragging shots to illustrate that "far away" feeling of an insomniac. The strange relationship that blooms between him and Marla Singer at the very end of the film is shown with the two finally making physical contact (holding hands) overlooking fire and destruction. And finally, the effortlessly confident character of Tyler Durden, the centre of all played masterfully by Brad Pitt, who wanders into the narrator's life in colour and light. It's an unusual film, but Fincher captures the writer's tone with each line ringing poignantly until the end. Worth a watch, worth a read. 

[photoceratops]

This is definitely the best source I have found for facts, news, images and trivia on movies and the database is absolutely huge. Give it a click.

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Jaws (1975);

The beach scene from this classic shark tale is one of my favourites in cinematic history. The scene raises suspense to tidal wave levels as the audience analyses each sound and person on the beach, waiting for the attack. And then it comes with the thunderous theme and malevolent shadow. Spielberg's famous dolly zoom on Roy Scheider's  face gives us the perfect reaction shot, like the drop in your stomach. Soon the beach is madder than ever with the rush of people desperately clambering out of the sea. To finish the scene is a still shot of the emptied beach, quiet waves lapping on the sand, a child's torn raft motionless on the surf. It captures people's panic and fear with every shot using clever filming rather than costly special effects.

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The Experiment (2010); 

I thought a lot about this shot (first image) after watching this movie. In fact, I watched the movie again straight away after the first viewing to try and understand it better. The basic skeleton of the narrative tells of a handful of ordinary men given the roles of prison inmates and prison guards for two weeks, and the grisly events that follow as human nature takes charge. Here we see the 'guards' looming like shadows over the helpless prisoner, the characters consumed with power and curiosity... How does it feel to beat a man to the ground? The power of this very shot resonated with me, as in reality all these men are of equal status so why do the 'guards' appear to have so much power? Food for thought.

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The Great Gatsby (2013);

This glossy adaptation of the classic novel is definitely something to raise your glass at! The title is an understatement; it’s better than great, it’s a visual feast! Glossy, charming, rich, and full of glamour, each frame is artfully decorated with glitter and gold. Zooming through city nightlife with a modern soundtrack contrasting the 20’s style, and still space for a poignant and thought provoking end. Baz Lurman has made another fabulous film… Well done, old sport!

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LOST (TV Series 2004);

Although criticized for it’s twisting plot line, J.J. Abrams adventure series had me gripped through all 6 seasons. Re-watching the first series, I noticed the clever techniques used to make the plane crash so exciting, including a stationary fuselage which the passengers moved in to give the effect of turbulence. When the busy beach appears, the scene is mad with noise and confusion with our hero Jack attempting to help people from the wreckage. In this scene, no character or props have red on them to make it more striking when someone is wounded. Other shots in the series range from handheld shaky camera to strong isolating long shots. The combination of these helps to keep the pace and keep you pinned to your seat! Fab stuff.

[spieqels-blog]

as the pain sweeps through / makes no sense for you / every thrill is gone / wasn’t too much fun at all

but i’ll be there for you as the world falls down.

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Classic 80's movie "Labyrinth"! 

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Snatch (2000);

One of my all time favourite movies is this gritty gangster flick from Guy Ritchie. It’s fast paced plot alongside quirky comedic characters is a match made in heaven. The introduction of each character with portraits is a great tool to engage the audience whilst giving them a heads up on what’s coming. Most of the film is shot in shadows and grimy blue or green shades which helps show the underground world in Britain. Worth a watch!

[photoceratops]

The Fountain (2006);

Saw this awesome shot in a Darren Aronofsky film the other day. This film is sublimely shot with a beautiful golden glow and surreal imagery. After some research I also discovered that the stunning cosmic scenes were created using high speed microscopy instead of CGI, showing creative use of “good old fashioned photography” can still look breathtaking! As well as this, the use of microscopic images further highlights the film’s themes of nature, life, death, disease and other organic processes, and helps to challenge the audience’s perspective by using something so small to represent our vast universe.