How to recreate shots from Argento's and Kubrik's style?

[Kristian Fino]

I have watched Dario Argento's films for a long time. Ever since I first watched one of his most popular and powerful film "Suspiria", I have grown attached to the style of color and camera shots and angels technique. From then on, I became so obsessed with his creativity that I started watching Italian giallo and spaghetti western films. The directors that I find similar to Argento's techniques in my opinion are Sergio Leone, Brian de Palma, Lucio Fulci, and Stanley Kubrick. I love these filmmakers very much by heart.

 

Stanley Kubrick is also one of my favorite film auteur. My favorites of his films are The Shining, and Clockwork Orange. I haven't seen his other films yet but will soon.

 

My question is, how do you recreate camera angles and shot in the style of Argento and Kubrik? Also what makes the style work for them?

[David Mullen ASC]

Have you seen this?

[Kristian Fino]

Wow no I haven't seen that video before but thanks for bringing up a great video example on how Kubrik does his style. Is Argento's style a bit similar to Kubriks though, I've heard that this one question always bothers me and I don't know the answer to that. I totally get the one-point perspective thing on Kubrik.

[David Mullen ASC]

I think the artifice of the symmetrical framing and art direction in Kubrick's movies suggests control -- control of the director over the elements in the frame but also control of the environment over the characters, to symbolize the domination of institutions created by man over man himself. Human behavior is placed visually within the context of artificial constructions that confine and affect the choices that characters can make (like the maze in "The Shining"). This is helped by the use of wide-angle lenses that allow the space around the characters to be more present, enveloping, looming. The slow zooms also allow Kubrick to show the environment around the character (by zooming out) or point out the character inside the environment (by zooming in).

 

I don't know anything about Argento's movies to comment.

[Kristian Fino]

Thanks for the Info on Kubrik. Dario Argento is similar to Kubrik's one-point perspective and character around environment shot, but a little bit different. here's a video example of his work of style:

 

 

 

http://youtu.be/HBEYrQWi4PE

 

 

 

 

If it looks interesting to you, search for the Horror genre on Giallo. Its Italian word for yellow but its actually a subgenre mainly focused on suspense thriller on murder and mystery, a lttle bit like Film Noir but in a rich gem-color Italian style. Now Argento made a movie called Giallo in honor of it, Giallo is an actual genre, just so you know. Mario Bava was the creator of giallo but Argento really took it over the limit.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Kristian Fino