Top 10 Cinematography Tips from Renowned DP Roger Deakins (No Film School Blog)

Roger Dawkins, a well known DP making movies like The Shawshank Redemption, and Fargo has recent com out to share 10 of his top secrets. Tip number one, get life experience, Dawkins believes that cinematography is a craft that takes a considerable amount of time to learn. Thus we need life to experience to fully master that qualities of a master cinematographer. The next one is understanding the importance of lighting. Lighting, much like audio is under looked and undervalued at times. Lighting is important in the word of the famed DP because "you are creating a mood, you are creating a world for those actors to inhabit and for the audience to get submersed in." Another tip is to remember the story, as well keeping up technology, to make your video sound and look the best. As stated by Mr. Dawkins " I'm still hoping to be part of telling stories about people and the way we are. So, to me, technology is important, but it's only in the background, it's a means to an end, it's like the paintbrush."

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Music Video Blog

On one fair spring day I, the glorious Zachary, was given the task of making/ imitating a music video. After discussion with peers I decide on a song, Smash Mouth's Allstars. One of the few classics of my era I would do it justice, putting in  hours of time working and planning. Carful planning each step by step I had developed a storyboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iqEurYwCiw

With my idea finalized, and people guaranteeing help I had schedule the date of the next Monday, May 11Th. After only one person should up to help me film I realized the struggle of working with some many I then swiftly embarked onto plan B, filming Logan in front of a green screen and making

a music video out of that that.    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7v9UEB-fBU

Inspired By Zladd's classic Elektronik Supersonik I tired to include some of the famous artist stlye along with throwing in mine own here and there. Here is his original video so you can compare the two.

In my crusade to make Smash Mouth's Allstar reality I lost. But I did learn two thing,s that it's hard to rely on some many people when filming, and though it is possible to use a larger number of people in a music video, it's far from easy. And I also learned some more about adjusting the green screen in post to fix spots where the lighting can be off.

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Approaching North by Northwest

North by Northwest, one of the many classics made possible thanks to one Alfred Hitchock tells the tale of one Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant) an advertising executive from New York. But all goes a stray with Mr. Thronhill being mistaken for George Kaplan, and then soon get kidnapped. As the story progress, we find Mr. Thornhill is introduced to to the lovely Eve Kendall (Eva Maire Saint) and soon grows strong feeling to the new, mysterious girl. Then faced with the fate of himself or Eva the story reaches a climatic end as Mr. Thornhill makes an ultimate  rash choice.

But there something more to the story, something that elevates it, making this film truly breathe taking. With the special effects not being the caplet with some rather laughable scene the this question pushes further and further into the rabbit hole. Watching the film over and over again anyone really can see that its the little exspersions, from the subtle simile on Eva's face as she first meets Roger, to the true distress on the face of Mr. Thornhill's face in learning his newly found lover is in grave danger. Small, midiculous details fill the film, making the overall feel that much more engaging. These small minnows in the pond are all the none other than the man, the myth, the legend, Alfred Hichock. Orchestrating these details like F natural in D major these little do wonders for the performance, but the average person go unnoticed, and unappreciated.          

  

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