Portfolio Project - Creating a "Look"

 Film Look

 

When you watch a film the directors always have a "look" that they are known for that separates them from other directors. There are many things that can create a "look" but the first is what kind of camera you use and how you use it. Many cameras can do different things, especially with various lenses. Something that makes a film unique is using certain S-Log's. An S-Log is a gamma curve designed to record and transmit as much of the information recorded by your camera's sensor as possible. S-Log breathes life into your images by preserving the wide color gamut and dynamic range recorded by the sensor. Essentially what an S-log dies is to make it easier to control what colors are represented within your scene and make it flat in order to color grade more easily as well. When filming raw with S-Log's your footage can come out much nicer in postproduction. 

Something else that creates a unique film look is the use of composition and styling shots. One of the greatest tools in film is composition. The same shot can convey different meanings depending on how the shot is composed and where important figures are placed. One thing that separates a lot of films is how the director uses composition to elicit feeling and emotion. Some films are so unique that without saying a word you can tell who the director is. The hardest part about creating a unique look is trying not to limit the creation and creating intentional shots that are well planned out and affirm the meaning that you have given to the film. 

Case Study - The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)

In the grand budapest Wes Anderson utilizes a lot of unique composition that are fundamental parts to his films. Something that makes his films different is Wes Anderson's symmetry and profile shots, with actors and props promptly entering and exiting the frame. Each action is cued by another action, much like the overall philosophy of the concierge and hotel staff. This extends to the dialogue as well. His use of symettry gives a sense of comfort and satisfaction which is something he plays around with, within his films. 

Within my own film I would like to create a look based less on composition and more playing with lighting as that is another tool of unique films like 'Get Out' with darker colors or Midsommer with lighter colors and lighting. Within mine i want to create a darker tone because I want to give the impression of a harder and more perfectionist life that eats away at their soul rather than a super enjoyable thing. I would like to show that being the greatest isn't always about haveing fun but also getting things done. This is why it is important to have a 'look' and not become fixated on just taking a camera and recording mindlessly.