Long Lenses

[J. Anthony Gonzales]

I am looking for examples of films that were shot mostly, if not entirely, with long lenses? Any info would be great.

 

Thanks,

 

John G.

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Anything by Tony Scott. He is Mr. long lens. Much of what his brother Ridley does is also long lens work, but not as extreme as Tony.

[David Mullen ASC]

Kurosawa's films starting in the late 1950's. He sort of started the trend of shooting battle scenes with telephoto lenses.

 

Geoffrey Unsworth was fond of long lenses and shot much of "A Bridge Too Far" with them. Attenborough used them a lot for "Gandhi".

 

Ridley and Tony Scott, obviously.

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Kurosawa's films starting in the late 1950's.  He sort of started the trend of shooting battle scenes with telephoto lenses.

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Wasn't it Kurosawa who regualrly shot with 500mm anamorphic and stopped down to T22 to get depth? Like a tableau, almost.

 

There's one, just one, absolutely great shot in Spy Game where the camera does a very low, long dolly across a platform on a station as some train is departing or coming in (can't remember). It looks surreal - must have been something like a 500mm fully stopped down.

[Kitao Sakurai]

Check out Abbas Kiarostami's "The Wind Will Carry Us." Save one shot, filmed entirely with telephoto anamorphics, and in very, very long takes. Not sure of the details, but really just a stunningly beautiful film. Very rentable as well, but I'm not sure what the transfer looks like as I only saw it projected a couple years ago.

[Kitao Sakurai]

Check out Abbas Kiarostami's "The Wind Will Carry Us." Save one shot, filmed entirely with telephoto anamorphics, and in very, very long takes. Not sure of the details, but really just a stunningly beautiful film. Very rentable as well, but I'm not sure what the transfer looks like as I only saw it projected a couple years ago.

[Guy Meachin]

Coppola's, The Conversation also has some great long lens shots.

Edited February 7, 2005 by Meach