For my two major projects I've researched into different films and cinematography styles.
Daniel's Kite Research
Firstly, for Daniel's Kite I've had to find inspirations to base around my cinematography for when it comes to the film shoots of my project.
A key film that my group have looked at in terms of narrative similar to Daniel's kite is 'The Fall' by Tarsem Singh (2006).
The Fall follows an injured stuntman who is injured in hospital. One day he meets a young girl who has a broken arm, he starts to tell her a story about five mythical heroes. Due to his bad state and her imagination, the difference between fantasy and reality starts to blend together.
The narrative within the Fall is a style we want to take in terms to Daniel's Kite, We want Daniel to be able to have a strong imagination similar to Alexandria, where her fantasy and reality will blend together for the better and worse. We will also want to show Daniel's imagination just like they show the young girl Alexandria's imagination within the Fall.
Seeming as we will want to use a similar style of narrative, it would seem appropriate to also look at the style of cinematography within the Fall.
Within this these GIF images we notice many different styles Tansem Singh has used to create that Fantasy style look to the film, through cinematography skills.
- There is a large use of the colour yellow throughout the film. The yellow tint was obviously a decision in post-production. It matches well with the style of a fantasy tale themed film almost making the audience feel that they are watching the film through the young girl's (Alexandria) eyes. We may want to consider a similar approach for when we colour grade Daniel's Kite. However there is a possibility that if we have it throughout the film that it could look horrible and overdone.
- The camera positioning in this GIF image shows that positioning characters in the center of the frame shows importance of that character. The use of the low angled shot also connotes childhood from adulthood. When making Daniel's Kite I can consider this a key cinematography technique to separate Daniel from his father. This will show Daniel wanting to dream about fantasies of flying the kite and not wanting to move up to adulthood where his father is. By doing this I am hoping it will help show a separation within the film of Daniel and his father.
- The cinematography within this GIF image shows Alexandria closing her eyes to imagine the fantasy tale. When filming Daniel's Kite I will need to make sure that I capture Daniel in a Close up shot to show character emotion. By doing this I will be able to show Daniel's reality blending with his imagination. I will be able to show this better using a close up of Daniel rather than a wide shot, because cutting from one wide shot to another will not work.
Another key film that the group have looked at is The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson (2014).
The Grand Budapest Hotel follows the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a hotel from the Republic of Zubrowka set between the first and second world wars. A lobby boy becomes his most trustworthy friend. It is a fiction film following an imaginary event.
-The narrative of Grand Budapest hotel isn't similar to Daniel's Kite, but the way Wes Anderson portrays the fiction of imaginary events is. Looking at the cinematography aspects of this film will help myself to achieve a fiction style based shots. Throughout the film the use of camera movement is very effective, whether it be through pans, track movements or camera tilts. I want to experiment with these movements if possible as I feel it will helpful to explain the narrative of the film effectively,
-Throughout there is a large use of the colour's red and pink. As the hotel is pink, it helps to make the interior/exterior shots stand out more effectively. This colour grade helps the film to feel like a fiction film, where the Grand Budapest hotel is an imaginary event. As mostly all shot background are red/pink, it helps to make everything in the foreground stand out more effectively. This cinematography style will be helpful, as I will need to find a way when it comes to the colour grade with editor Nathan to make the background less vibrant and the foreground more vibrant.
-This shot is very effective in terms of both lighting and framing. The lighting is done excellently in terms of making it feel like a study/office. There is an effective use of both foreground and background lighting to balance the mid shot. The framing of the shot is done effectively with detailed art direction of the books and paper on the desk and also on the book shelves in the background. When it comes to filming the headmaster's office scene for Daniel's kite, I want to go for a similar style in terms of cinematography as this. This is because I like how the character is positioned with his arms on the desks, and how the camera is eye level. This makes the audience feel that they are sitting opposite this character. The fact that there is a lot going on within this shot, helps to make it more interesting and unique as an image.
- The camera positioning in this GIF image shows that positioning characters in the center of the frame shows importance of that character. The use of the low angled shot also connotes childhood from adulthood. When making Daniel's Kite I can consider this a key cinematography technique to separate Daniel from his father. This will show Daniel wanting to dream about fantasies of flying the kite and not wanting to move up to adulthood where his father is. By doing this I am hoping it will help show a separation within the film of Daniel and his father.
- The cinematography within this GIF image shows Alexandria closing her eyes to imagine the fantasy tale. When filming Daniel's Kite I will need to make sure that I capture Daniel in a Close up shot to show character emotion. By doing this I will be able to show Daniel's reality blending with his imagination. I will be able to show this better using a close up of Daniel rather than a wide shot, because cutting from one wide shot to another will not work.
-From this GIF image it shows an extreme wide exterior shot from the Fall. Within a majority of exterior shots in this film, the camera positioning almost captures an equal amount of land as it does sky. This will most definitely be an effective cinematography approach when filming exterior shots for Daniel's Kite, as the film is based around Daniel wanting to fly his kite. Therefore I think this cinematography style used within the Fall will be a very important approach to consider when making our film.
If I am able to apply these cinematography techniques to Daniel's Kite I will be pleased with what I have achieved. I think that The Fall by Tarsem Sing will be one of the major comparable films to Daniel's Kite.
The Grand Budapest Hotel follows the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a hotel from the Republic of Zubrowka set between the first and second world wars. A lobby boy becomes his most trustworthy friend. It is a fiction film following an imaginary event.
-The narrative of Grand Budapest hotel isn't similar to Daniel's Kite, but the way Wes Anderson portrays the fiction of imaginary events is. Looking at the cinematography aspects of this film will help myself to achieve a fiction style based shots. Throughout the film the use of camera movement is very effective, whether it be through pans, track movements or camera tilts. I want to experiment with these movements if possible as I feel it will helpful to explain the narrative of the film effectively,
-Throughout there is a large use of the colour's red and pink. As the hotel is pink, it helps to make the interior/exterior shots stand out more effectively. This colour grade helps the film to feel like a fiction film, where the Grand Budapest hotel is an imaginary event. As mostly all shot background are red/pink, it helps to make everything in the foreground stand out more effectively. This cinematography style will be helpful, as I will need to find a way when it comes to the colour grade with editor Nathan to make the background less vibrant and the foreground more vibrant.
-This shot is very effective in terms of both lighting and framing. The lighting is done excellently in terms of making it feel like a study/office. There is an effective use of both foreground and background lighting to balance the mid shot. The framing of the shot is done effectively with detailed art direction of the books and paper on the desk and also on the book shelves in the background. When it comes to filming the headmaster's office scene for Daniel's kite, I want to go for a similar style in terms of cinematography as this. This is because I like how the character is positioned with his arms on the desks, and how the camera is eye level. This makes the audience feel that they are sitting opposite this character. The fact that there is a lot going on within this shot, helps to make it more interesting and unique as an image.
Under the Sun Research
Secondly, for Under the Sun I've had to also find inspirations to base around my cinematography for when it comes to the film shoots of my project.
A key film that I have looked at when it comes to narrative and cinematography is 'Mud' by Jeff Nichols (2012).
Mud follows two young boys who come across a fugitive on a derelict island. They form a pact with him to evade vigilantes who are on his trail and help him to reunite with the love of his life.
The narrative and cinematography of Mud is a very similar style that we want to approach with Under the Sun. We want to be able emphasize and show two boy's friendship with one another, until one boy falls for a gypsy girl and loses his connection with his best friend. The cinematography within this film is exactly how I want to approach Under the Sun.
Shot 1:
-These two shots of the boys from Mud are very effective at showing the boys exploring together. It's effective at showing them being the only two people in sight connoting the area is derelict. I want to experiment with handheld long takes for Under the Sun. Therefore having the actors framed tightly in shot together using a wide angle lens will hopefully look similar to this, so that you are able to have interaction going on in the foreground as well as the background.
Shot 1:
Shot 2:
Shot 3:
-The narrative shown within these three shots of the boys meeting the fugitive for the first time (Matthew Mcconaughey), is how I want to portray Jim and Rhy meeting Eve for the first time in Under the Sun. I would start with an extreme long shot of them seeing Eve near the dead body. To a reaction mid shot of Jim and Rhy. And then a mid shot of all three character interacting for the first time. This method linked with using a wide angle lens should look impressive as more of the background will be in shot too.
Another key film that I have looked at when it comes to narrative and cinematography is 'A room for Romeo Brass' by Shane Meadows (1999).
A key film that I have looked at when it comes to narrative and cinematography is 'Mud' by Jeff Nichols (2012).
Mud follows two young boys who come across a fugitive on a derelict island. They form a pact with him to evade vigilantes who are on his trail and help him to reunite with the love of his life.
The narrative and cinematography of Mud is a very similar style that we want to approach with Under the Sun. We want to be able emphasize and show two boy's friendship with one another, until one boy falls for a gypsy girl and loses his connection with his best friend. The cinematography within this film is exactly how I want to approach Under the Sun.
Shot 1:
Shot 2:
-These two opening extreme wide shots in the official trailer are very effective at showing how desolate the location is. For Under the Sun, a shot similar to this set in the quarry will really help to show how derelict the quarry is. I will need to use an extreme wide angle lens to emphasis this. Being able to show the sky with land at the same time really opens up how large the location is.
Shot 1:
Shot 2:
Shot 1:
Shot 2:
Shot 3:
-The narrative shown within these three shots of the boys meeting the fugitive for the first time (Matthew Mcconaughey), is how I want to portray Jim and Rhy meeting Eve for the first time in Under the Sun. I would start with an extreme long shot of them seeing Eve near the dead body. To a reaction mid shot of Jim and Rhy. And then a mid shot of all three character interacting for the first time. This method linked with using a wide angle lens should look impressive as more of the background will be in shot too.
Another key film that I have looked at when it comes to narrative and cinematography is 'A room for Romeo Brass' by Shane Meadows (1999).
The film follows two twelve year old boys (Gavin and Romeo), who undertake a test of friendship and character, when a stranger called Morell comes between them. He asks for their help to pursue his love of Romeo's sister, while becoming more violent as he keeps getting rejected.
The narrative is very similar in terms of the way we want Under the Sun to follow. There are a few aspects in terms of cinematography that I can consider to show within Under the Sun. Previously looking at 'Mud' by Jeff Nichols, I want to approach that cinematic style with mainly 'A room for Romeo Brass' as a story telling point. If I can follow this, then Under the Sun will achieve the cinematic style that the group and myself want.
The narrative shown within this screenshot and trailer, shows the boys strong bond and friendship. They are both always very sarcastic to one another, showing that they can both take banter. The camera positioning is at a low angle, I feel that this connotes that they are just two teenage boys, who don't really care much about life, they just want to have fun and haven't really seen much out of their own society. I want to take this narrative and cinematography style when it comes to making Under the Sun. This is because I think it will help to achieve our narrative correctly of two boy's friendship being strong until they encounter the dead body and Eve.
Shot 1:
Shot 2:
Shot 3:
Shot 4:
The four shots shown above are a similar style to how I want to show the cutaways and exterior shots of Under the Sun. Within 'A Room for Romeo Brass' The characters are always positioned to one side of the frame, leaving the other side of the framed shot empty to show the background shot. We took a similar style to this in our first semester film 'Pantglas', where we had something (actor, prop, action) going on in the foreground which would then affect the background within the shot. I will achieve this within Under the Sun by detailed storyboard and shot list planning. There will need to be a large amount of location scouting throughout our chosen locations to achieve tranquil shots similar to the ones shown above.
This shot shows Romeo having a fight with a random kid. The cinematography style used within the fight scene is mainly handheld. I want the fight scene between Rhy and Jim to be handheld. This will enable me to keep up with the fast paced action of the two fighting. It will also enable me to show character emotion as I won't be stuck in the stationary tripod position trying to show the narrative. It's also an effective approach to take when shooting Under the Sun, as I will still be able to show what's going on in the background, while all the action is happening within the foreground.
Now that I have looked at research for both films, I can consider and possibly use similar styles to the one's I have mentioned throughout above. This will enable me as a cinematographer to make sure I have a detailed idea of how I want to create the film going into the film schedule shoots for both projects.
The narrative is very similar in terms of the way we want Under the Sun to follow. There are a few aspects in terms of cinematography that I can consider to show within Under the Sun. Previously looking at 'Mud' by Jeff Nichols, I want to approach that cinematic style with mainly 'A room for Romeo Brass' as a story telling point. If I can follow this, then Under the Sun will achieve the cinematic style that the group and myself want.
The narrative shown within this screenshot and trailer, shows the boys strong bond and friendship. They are both always very sarcastic to one another, showing that they can both take banter. The camera positioning is at a low angle, I feel that this connotes that they are just two teenage boys, who don't really care much about life, they just want to have fun and haven't really seen much out of their own society. I want to take this narrative and cinematography style when it comes to making Under the Sun. This is because I think it will help to achieve our narrative correctly of two boy's friendship being strong until they encounter the dead body and Eve.
Shot 1:
Shot 2:
Shot 3:
Shot 4:
The four shots shown above are a similar style to how I want to show the cutaways and exterior shots of Under the Sun. Within 'A Room for Romeo Brass' The characters are always positioned to one side of the frame, leaving the other side of the framed shot empty to show the background shot. We took a similar style to this in our first semester film 'Pantglas', where we had something (actor, prop, action) going on in the foreground which would then affect the background within the shot. I will achieve this within Under the Sun by detailed storyboard and shot list planning. There will need to be a large amount of location scouting throughout our chosen locations to achieve tranquil shots similar to the ones shown above.
This shot shows Romeo having a fight with a random kid. The cinematography style used within the fight scene is mainly handheld. I want the fight scene between Rhy and Jim to be handheld. This will enable me to keep up with the fast paced action of the two fighting. It will also enable me to show character emotion as I won't be stuck in the stationary tripod position trying to show the narrative. It's also an effective approach to take when shooting Under the Sun, as I will still be able to show what's going on in the background, while all the action is happening within the foreground.
Now that I have looked at research for both films, I can consider and possibly use similar styles to the one's I have mentioned throughout above. This will enable me as a cinematographer to make sure I have a detailed idea of how I want to create the film going into the film schedule shoots for both projects.
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