Cheating

[David Mullen ASC]

Here's an example of cheating the lighting through a sequence. We have a night exterior on "Tucker" where Martin Landau confesses he served jail time and that info might be used against Tucker.

 

They walk for awhile and stop here:

 

 

They cut to the reverse angle on Tucker:

 

 

They cut back to the previous shot.

 

Landau paces into the far background and then walks up closer to Tucker -- as he does so, about to make his confession, the camera dollies laterally as he walks up, to see him on the other side of Tucker, changing the tone of the scene. Landau also steps into a new key light. This is all in the same set-up as the first photo remember:

 

 

They cut to the reverse angle on Tucker, with the correct new screen direction -- the key light has been completely flopped to maintain the same lighting tone as the previous shot of Tucker.

 

 

They cut to a tighter close-up of Landau and now the key light has been softened further.

 

One affect of the lighting and screen direction change is to suggest seeing Landau in a "new light" -- softer, less noirish lighting on him.

 

[Guest fstop]

Hey! It's amazing how good looking that movie is- I remember the film being rubbish, never remembered the photography being so...well, Storaro! Gotta love those grainy 16mm TV prints of the 80s. :mellow:

 

I know what you mean David - Storaro is a master of constructing a fine pallette whereby unmotivated light and lighting inconsistent between shots can be dropped in at any points because the light is woven into the narrative and design as symbols in their own right. Eyepopping work and certainly you can't argue his "bullshit theories" (quote from the late Richard Sylbert) on colour, light and tone. Unless we're talking about Dick Tracy specifically...

[Wendell_Greene]

Yes, that is Jeff Bridges.

 

No, I don't believe it's crossing the line because the movement of the actor and the camera's response to that by dollying justifies the new line of action.

 

What I appreciate about David's posting of this scene is that cheating of the key light by Storaro supports the story and assists in affecting the arc of character development. This is what the cinematographer brings to the script. So subtle and yet so powerful.

 

Is it me, or does anyone else think that Scorsese and Richardson screened this underrated gem of a biopic while prepping The Aviator?

[Greg Gross]

Mr. Greene,

I'm just a dumb ass newbie,student cinematographer,long time professional

photographer. I think I would view it if I was making a film(period film) and

evaluate its look. I've just been dreaming the last few days about shooting

my production in 16mm film but cost is to prohibitive. So I've been looking

at films,artist's books,magazines,looking at Kodak literature on film stocks.

Also have looked at David Mullen's many recent examples on the forum.

This one is a treasure in itself and I want to remember this method. My hat

is off to David Mullen for sharing his craft,art,knowledge.

 

Greg

[F Bulgarelli]

This is grea!

Thanks a lot David for posting and commenting on all this examples.

 

Francisco

[Mike Williamson]

Landau paces into the far background and then walks up closer to Tucker -- as he does so, about to make his confession, the camera dollies laterally as he walks up, to see him on the other side of Tucker, changing the tone of the scene.  Landau also steps into a new key light.

 

So it sounds like Landau's walk into the background is used to cover the first cheat? Do you feel that the dolly move also hides it?

 

I can see how the second cheat (flipping the key light) on Bridges' character is going to slide by unnoticed, the tone matches perfectly between both of Bridges' shots. It will probably work better than having opposite directions for their key lights, so I guess in that sense it's probably necessary to sell the first cheat. The softening of the key on Landau's close-up is nice too.

 

Thanks again, David, this is a great example with a lot of interesting cheating happening in this sequence. I'll have to watch this film soon.