Personal Archive of References

[thereferencebinder]

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

The production design (specially the color palette), as well as the composition and blocking in this entire movie is incredible. The plastic concept is extremely well fitted for this type of movie and is one of the most imporant elements that made it as iconic as it is.

[thereferencebinder]

The Big Ask (2013)

First frame: Slight dutch angles employed for 2 out of the 3 couples, reflecting the inestability of their relationships.

Second frame: Interesting composition & use of lighting.

Third frame: Stunning composition. This movie is far from being great, but the cinematography is.

Fourth frame: Lovely, ethereal composition from a deleted scene.

[thereferencebinder]

Candy - Overkill (S01E03)

First shot: Stunning mirror shot. Candy in red, representing not only the passion, due to the affair she's about to have, but also the danger. This moment is what triggers everything that happens later on and ends up in her murdering Betty (in a later scene in this same episode, the chair looks orange while Candy wears teal; the affair is not part of their routine). The position of the camera allows to connect what's happening outside with Allan, raising up the tension for the viewer who's expecting to see the door open up.

Second shot: Really interesting composition that adds to the atmosphere. It's a happy baby shower, but it's also a dark moment where Candy's paranoia begins.

Third shot: I love the close up shots this show has. They're usually details about the murder, hints or foreshadowing imagery involving food, due to the "perfect housewife" lifestyle of the characters.

[thereferencebinder]

Candy - Happy Wife Happy Life (S01E02)

First & second shots: What should be a happy, celebratory moment actually feels miserable and lonely. The dark space, ugly yellow, empty space (exaggerated by the use of a wide lense) and the underwhelming sign create a huge contrast with what's happening story wise. You can truly feel how miserable and lonely life felt for Betty.

Third shot: I love the blocking in this shot. Betty's surrounded by people, however, she's lonely and feels completely ignored by both her family and the women she wants to befriend. She's contemplating approaching said women but feels small and vulnerable.

Fourth shot: A frame within a frame so we can keep the focus on Betty, as always, lonely and emotionally dependent on her husband. She's completely isolated from her kids and everyone else in the town. A depressed and overwhelmed woman with absolutely no support, not even from the man she's trying to talk to.

Fifth shot: I absolutely love the lighting in this scene. It's colorful and fun, the exact opposite of Betty's life. Candy also feels trapped in her own marriage, but here, she's learning about a world full of possibilities and the fun she's so desperate for. Just like with Betty, the lense used here allows us to see lots of space around her. However, the composition is different. She's not isolated and in a corner, like Betty's usually seen (or even Candy herself, while she's at home). The lines and contrast between the red and green here make Candy and her friends the center of attention.

[thereferencebinder]

Candy - Friday the 13th (S01E01)

I love the color palette of the show: vintage vomit yellow that overwhelms and makes you feel trapped in a miserable life; as well as bright red that shows the passion, danger and violence hidden under the surface.

First shot: This show is about a true crime case, but it's also about loneliness and the effects it has on people. Said theme is constantly shown by frames like this one, with tons of open space and a character that looks small in comparison. In this particula frame, they even added horizontal and vertical lines that create boxes, showing how distanced he was from her wife and how clueless he was about what was going to happen. However, he's not trapped inside the "smaller" box (the kitchen isle, on the other opposite site); he's in the more open half of the frame, since Betty was the one who actually felt trapped and miserable in her life, without any sort of support from her husband, while he cheated with Candy, indirectly causing what happened to her.

Second shot: Really interesting composition. I love the use of wide lenses in this show to create an odd and eerie atmosphere. It's a perfect little town full of happy housewives, specially Candy, the start and friend everyone seems to love. But that's just her facade.

Third shot: In the scenes before the murder, Candy's always shown with sofe lights and shadows, warm, cozy. But in this sequence, we see her true side. Even if the scene is taking place at 11am, it's dark, full of shadows and harder lights that contour her face, allowing us to see the state of shock and worry she's in.

Fourth shot: One of my favorite shots of the show. Another unusual and very insteresting composition with a large amount of diagonal lights that reflect the unstability and anxiety Alan was going through.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Storytelling (S02E09)

Beautiful color palette. I like how Yellowjackets always uses close ups as a tool to let scenes breathe and also to pull the audience inside the mind of the characters and feel the psychological weight their actions are carrying in that moment.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - It Chooses (S02E08)

I love the production design when it comes to the cabin. Specially the textures.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Burial (S02E07)

I love this shot. It's right after a confused and scared Misty starts having a vision; which is perfectly reflected in the odd, unbalanced composition here, as well as the blurriness. The fast rythm of the montage also helps to reinforce that same feeling.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Qui (S02E06)

Love the composition, but mostly, how shiny his eye looks. It instantly reminds you of his role during the cannibalism in episode 2; making this scene even harder to watch.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Two Truths and a Lie (S02E05)

First frame: Love the production design in this scene; the attention to detail, and the concept of almost everythin in her house being from the 90s (or prior) as a way to show Van being mentally stuck in that era. I also really love the clutter and organized chaos of this particular shot.

Second frame: I love the lighting here, as well as the composition. It's like braking the rule of the gaze, but with a window instead of a face. By doing so, and leaving nothing but complete darkess on the other side, it creates the sensation of feeling trapped; opposite of the freedom it would give the viewer if the window was on the left side of the frame. Beatiful show and great way of creating the particular atmosphere that's been prevalent throughout the entire season.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Old Wounds (S02E04)

Interesting composition and beautiful color palette.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Digestif (S02E03)

I'm obsessed with how beautiful this entire scene is. The color palette is stunning, full of earthy tones and that deep read that instantly becomes the center of attention. I also like all the close ups.

I also love the existance of frame #3; right after she touches the blood for the first time, we see a shot of her hands being completely clean, but then we go back to a shot of her hands covered in blood. It's our first hint that it's a hallucination.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Edible Complex (S02E02)

First frame: This scene freaked me out so much. I love how they introduce her little by little; first focusing on her very creepy walk with a close up of her legs, and then this frame where the light comes from the bottom up, keeping the mystery up until the very last moment. I usually hate the type of CGI used for this scene, where faces get deformed for the sake of being scary. However, it feels justified and very well done here.

Second frame: Everything about this sequence is great. The cross cutting between the glorious fantasy and the gross, sad reality of their situation; the soundrack, the rythm, the contrast between what's happening outside and the fear in Ben's eyes (great acting). You can really tell all the things going through his head, which makes the entire sequence a lot more jarring.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Friends, Romans, Countrymen (S02E01)

First frame: Love the atmosphere. Usually, shots like this would be shown from a different angle, or positioning the house on the right side of the frame and leaving an open, inviting space in front of the door to make it seem welcoming. However, the opposite is done here. The cabin is positioned on the left, leaving almost no space in the front part. This isn't a nice place to be, you don't wanna join them. Also, its completely surrounded by trees, making it feel trapped; they're out in the wilderness, but still, they can't run away.

Second frame: Beautiful composition, production design and lighting.

Third frame: This entire sequence is creepy and disturbing. I love the way they reveal the corpse for the first time. This frame, in particular, is very interesting. Once the "plot twist" is revealed; you realize you're watching a very intimate moment for Shauna. It's not just a silly conversation between two friends. It's a deep part of her brain, full of grief, guilt, fear and the impossibility of letting go. The framing of the characters, using those leaves, give the viewer the sensation of spying on her, of watching something we definitely shouldn't be watching.

[thereferencebinder]

The Last of Us - Look for the Light (S01E09)

First shot: Love the use of close ups and telephoto lense during this scene. It's moving, loving. The only thing that matters to Anna in this moment is Ellie; that's all she sees, all she cares about. Nothing else exists: not the apocalypse, the corpse next to her or even the bite she just recieved. All her focus is on the baby she loves.

Second shot: Love the dynamic composition. Mirror shots are always interesting, and say a lot about the character's mental state and identity.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (S01E010)

First shot: I'm completely obsessed with the production design of the cabin. The atmosphere, the aging, the textures... it's all stunning.

Second shot: Classic use of cinematographic techniques for this scene. I appreciate the color palette.

[thereferencebinder]

Yellowjackets - Doomcoming (S01E09)

First shot: I love the color palette here. Sweet and innocent; heavily contrasting with what came afterwards.

Second shot: POV shot with a blurry effect to show the effects of the shrooms.