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lovelost9
17 days ago
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Do you ever watch a movie for composition and such?
...the way that you view photographs?
I read an older post were someone mentioned that as they learned more about photography they watched films for composition -- rule of thirds, and all.
I don't have a well trained eye but I do notice when a film is done particularly well. I remember thinking Orson Welle's adaptation of "Jane Eyre" was as being so beautiful to me. Love it.
Actually, even though I love photography for its own sake I also see at as a gateway to video and filmmaking for me (eventually).
Anyhow, I'm curious to see if anyone else views movies for composition as well, and if so what movies stand out to you?
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mm
17 days ago
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I don't look at movies for composition, per se. However, last night I was watching North by Northwest (A Hitchcock movie starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint and James Mason... if there's anyone out there who's unfamiliar with it.) and I noticed the lighting in some of the scenes. I don't think I ever looked at it with a critical eye before. I usually just get wrapped up in the story. The scene where the couple meets in the woods of South Dakota was awful. It was like they were on a planet with four suns! Sorry if I'm ruining the movie for you... I think that's all I'll see the next time I watch it... tree shadows going every-which-way. Still a great movie, though!!
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superdewa
17 days ago
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You may be referring to the thread (http://photojojo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1112) where I mentioned not being able to pay attention to the plot of All the President's Men because I was so interested in the composition of the shots. So yes -- I'm with you! I will have to watch Jane Eyre again.
All The President's Men, definitely. Another one that comes to mind immediately is North by Northwest. Even before I was terribly interested in photography, I found Far From Heaven, with Julianne Moore, intriguing in that way. I loved the colors in that movie -- I'll have to watch it again to see what I can take from it now. I know there are others, but those are the ones that come to mind right now.
Personally I don't think I'll move on to video & filmmaking. I am a flute player. I was pretty good at one point. I tried string instruments and always found they didn't work for me -- too much going on at once. I think film is to photography as string instruments are to wind instruments  I love listening to string ensembles and watching movies, but I'll let someone else do that work for me.
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superdewa
17 days ago
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mm -- we cross-posted. Sometimes I think you're my alter ego.
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Marleymax
17 days ago
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Here's a few films that come to mind right away for me when viewing for composition:
Out of Africa, The Kite Runner, Braveheart, Gandhi, The Shawshank Redemption, The Color Purple...
These stand out to me for their cinema photography – that is your question right? There's so many its a tough one.
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SarahCate
17 days ago
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It must be hitchcock month MM... I kept seeing fabulous stills while I was trying to watch Psycho (the original). We saw where the wild things are this weekend and I kept thinking: God that would be an amazing still!! Ooooo I want to move that thing over then shoot from this angle and mmmm...
I think I had more fun setting up shots in my mind than I did watching the movie. It's beginning to be a habit. lol
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superdewa
17 days ago
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Yes, I'm with you.
Interesting aside -- my daughter is taking a drawing class. We were sitting in a coffeeshop today, and she told me that she couldn't stop imagining how she would draw each person she saw. It sounded so similar to how I see things in terms of photography.
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belleariel
paris
17 days ago
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The old B&W Films are often full of beautifully lit and composed scenes; Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane;" "Wuthering Heights," "Laura," "The Uninvited," "Beauty & The Beast" (the original Jean Cocteau version) are just a few that come to mind. "Daughters of the Dust" for beautiful use of sand, light, and white clothing; "The Tango Lesson" and "Tango." I've even tried photographing movie scenes off the TV (not very successfully). It takes a little multi-tasking to follow the plot AND the cinematography...but there's always the replay button.
Superdewa: Your daughter's drawing in her imagination reminded me of a scene on a city bus. A young boy about 8-9 was staring at people standing and making movements with his finger in the air as though he were holding a pencil. After a while I realized he was drawing the people he was looking at. I took a watercolor class and the instructor suggested we paint at least one picture every day...and if materials were not handy, just do it in your mind. Too bad we can't download all these wonderful mental photos (and paintings)....or maybe not!
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richard wa
ng
17 days ago
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I study and admire the cinematographers John F. Seitz, William H. Daniels and James Wong Howe.
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don hodgdo
n
17 days ago
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I learn a lot from watching movies and television, especially commercials (I like to turn the sound off). They can often be little masterpieces of lighting and composition.
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Red
17 days ago
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Shaft and The Long Riders have caught my attention for the compositions. Of course, Shaft was directed by Gordon Parks.
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superdewa
17 days ago
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Don, you mention television. Anything in particular? I think Mad Men is an obvious inspiration.
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don hodgdo
n
16 days ago
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Superd, one example I have used many times with young photographers is the original Star Trek episodes. The lighting director used classical portrait lighting techniques; broad, short, 45, split, butterfly. Every episode is a master class in portrait lighting.
What little I have seen of Mad Men seemed very well shot with interesting camera angles and lighting.
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superdewa
16 days ago
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Oh, interesting. I can see that. I don't know all those terms though.
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imthinking
outloud
16 days ago
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I like looking for trends, and new ways to take a shot of something. I find it difficult to actually enjoy the movie once I start watching it in photographer mode. I should sit there with a notebook, because I always forget what it was I wanted to try.
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plasticcar
d
16 days ago
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This is where the magic happens
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AB8TA
16 days ago
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Great post--
I would have to say there are bunch of movies that I look at repeatedly to draw inspiration from for use in my photography. Some of my favorites I would have to say are:
The Man Who Wasn't There by The Coen Bros.
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
To Kill A Mockingbird
Sin City
K.
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superdewa
16 days ago
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Nice suggestions.
Adding all these to my movie idea list.
imthinkingoutloud -- I'd love to hear more about how you generate and follow-through on ideas for photos. I have mostly been a "take my camera everywhere and photography what I see" type of photographer up until now, but recently I've found myself looking for specific opportunities and even occasionally setting them up. I could use some inspiration on this.
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odbol
15 days ago
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It's interesting because some movies are shot with a very dynamic feel to them - lots of camera pans and such - and you can tell that the techniques are much different from still photography. But then you can watch a movie like Slumdog Millionaire or 2001: A Space Odyssey and you can tell that they were shot with more of a still photography technique - lots of sprawling panoramas, shots that are interesting simply because of the background and not the action that is happening within them.
I love watching movies for their photographic artistry but you have to realize that cinematography is a completely different game.
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IAmBroom
15 days ago
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After Hours (Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette)
and, building on lovelost9's post: Orson Welle's Macbeth. An awful, awful adaptation, much ballyhooed by himself and his adoring critics, until its release.
Still, great cinematography. Scads of great B&W stills possible from it. Interesting: Welles had real skill in creating imagery with words (War of the Worlds broadcast), and visual imagery, but the bulk of his performances were (IMO) overindulgent and narcissistic. An artistic genius best turned outwards, perhaps.
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