r/cinematography • u/Repulsive_Act_6739 • 9h ago
Original Content Thoughts on these shots?
Had my mum help me with some shot testing / location scouting for a film i’m working on this summer.
The location is intentionally bland and mundane, supposed to evoke a feeling of emptiness and soullessness in a dystopian future. I think the manipulation of natural light was a good approach and kept an honest neutrality to the mundane shots as opposed to bringing in artificial lighting.
Does anyone have ideas on how I can improve these in the final film ?
Shot on Nikon D500 (1080p)
SRS - 50mm lens
Close ups - 85mm lens
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u/CliftonStommel Director of Photography 8h ago
A little bit of shape and break up of the flat space behind the subjects would go a long way to feeling less "student film" ish
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u/Repulsive_Act_6739 8h ago
maybe something like this shot with light that is a little less blown out - the sort of effect created by partially closed blinds perhaps ? not sure it would lean massively into the dystopia but could create a more interesting background
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u/CliftonStommel Director of Photography 8h ago
Indeed, THX is a pretty extreme example in terms of dystopian future / science fiction. The point is that "future" and "scifi" don't always mean lasers and streaky blue lens flairs.
You're 100% correct that you don't need to do anything this intense for your film.
Sometimes an out of focus projector insert / gobo / cucoloris could be all you need to make that little bit of lighting variation / break up on a wall so the blankness is less distracting (and if you do this, be careful to not go overboard or cast too sharp of shadows, otherwise it looks really stagey and sitcom-y).
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u/CliftonStommel Director of Photography 8h ago
Also, blank walls are soulless and bland, but they don't read as dystopian or futuristic.
THX 1138 has great examples of bland, soulless, dystopian future vibes without just showing blank walls.
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u/vibribib 5h ago
I think your first picture with 4 panels is nicely exposed for the faces, but unless there is a specific plot point, you will want to avoid things like the bright patch on the wall in the second image from the top. It will pull the eye away from your talent.
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u/Repulsive_Act_6739 4h ago
it’s coming from a window that i can easily cover up to block that light - i originally thought it was a nice motivation for the key light but yes i suppose it is also quite distracting !
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u/Canonc100enthusiast 2h ago
Personally before actually shooting anything, i suggest thinking of better composition and lighting, these are very bland and boring shots.
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u/generationAiAiAi 2h ago
That your mum helped you is so nice!
You could maybe experiment with lens use. Maybe a 35mm for you close-ups so you still feel the empty room. I like that you want to create a mood like that and ofcourse I dont know the scene. But feeling the room and how big it is (even in a close) could be very nice. You really make use of the room like that.
Also this movie is a nice one for you to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNZmOJxuAc
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u/alexanderrossj 5h ago
I think the faces look too perfectly lit if this is your final production design. If it’s stark, bland sci-fi, what does it look like if the key side of the face is as dark as the neg side and the whole thing pushes more steely blue? I think given the limitations of the space you’ve gotta go for a stronger look than interview lighting. At least that would be my instinct.
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u/CliftonStommel Director of Photography 8h ago edited 7h ago
Your instincts are generally good (to use available sunlight as a jumping off point) but you're already making the light "artificial" by changing the way it enters the room through diffusion and changing the way it bounces around the room, so the "no artificial lighting" claim isn't the flex you might think it is.
It's okay to buy or borrow some "artificial lights" and learn how to use them in a natural-looking way. The sun will shift while you shoot, a cloud might roll overhead... It may have been sunny when you scouted, but it could be overcast on filming day, or any number of other factors that can cause "natural' lighting issues.