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Best 'Behind the Scenes' Documentaries


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I just watched the 'Making of Fanny and Alexander' documentary which is bundled with the Criterion DVD.

 

Unlike the current crop of Hollywood behind the scenes docu's which are mostly just marketing nonsense, this film, with its long takes and monotonous coverage was really satisfying to watch.

 

It was nice to get a feel for the director-DP relationship that Bergman and Nykvist shared, and to see them both be very particular about having their respective needs met without stepping on each other?s toes.

 

Anybody care to recommend other DVD?s with bundled ?behind the scenes? movies that lend insight to DP?s on set?

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T2 ultimate edition

 

Theres a nice section on the supplemental which unusually for a dvd extra uses the word "cinematography" which is apparently part of the film making process.Ill have to look it up in the dictionary dont normally hear words like that on dvd extras ;)

 

Some nice details on it including stocks used and what type of stops it takes to light the oak!

 

Charles

Edited by charles g clark
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"The Bourne Supremacy" and "Collateral" have nice how-they-did-it segments.

 

"Taxi Driver" has a good directing and bare-nuckles filmmaking commentary.

 

"Se7en" has a nice color correcting segment.

 

"The Patriot" with Harrison Ford talks about real-world screenplay development.

 

I wish there was a behind the scenes for some of von Trier's films (Breaking the Waves, The Idiots, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville). I don't think there is, but I could be wrong. Anyone know this?

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I second any David Fincher Spec. Ed. DVD.

 

I would also add Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Traffic, and Empire of the Sun, which has an actual behind the scenes doc. shot by John Toll. If you haven't seen Empire of the Sun, I highly recommend it. It's the first movie that made me become a DP.

 

I just watched Miller's Crossing and the only behind the scenes on it is a very extensive interview with Barry Sonnenfeld about his work. Pretty good.

Edited by Eric Steelberg
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"David Lean: A Life in Film" it played on some cable channel years ago, and had a lot of footage of Lean working on "Passage to India" both shooting and editing. I wish I could find it on DVD, but it seems to have just vanished....

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Not really a behind the scenes Doc for a particular movie, but still worth a look, is Easy Riders, Raging Bulls. It deals less with cinematography and more with the ideas, aspirations, relationships, and struggles of filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola, Dennis Hopper, Stanley Kubrick, George Lucas, Steven Speilberg, Peter Bogdonavich, etc... It has tons of cool interviews with these and friends of these film makers and actors that were somewhat revolutionary for their time.

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I wish there was a behind the scenes for some of von Trier's films (Breaking the Waves, The Idiots, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville). I don't think there is, but I could be wrong. Anyone know this?

 

---I was Watching 'Dancer in the Dark' the other day. There are two shorts about the musical numbers.

One about the '100 camera' set ups and a longer one about the choreography.

 

---LV

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"Lost in LaMancha" is one of my personal favorites. For those not familiar with it, it was intended to be the behind the scenes doc for Terry Gilliam's "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," but when that production fell apart, it was given its own release. Just some really funny/heartbreaking/frustrating/educational material that I think almost anyone on this board could relate to.

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I recommend "Star Wars Episode III". There's a bonus DVD with ton of material plus the production diaries. Speaking of production diaries, "Peter Jackson's Production Diaries on King Kong" just came out on DVD. It's pretty cool although it doesn't have the post-production diaries you find on the web.

 

Also "A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman". There's a 2-hour documentary on the making of "Winter Light".

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Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocolypse - the doc for Apocolypse Now is pretty spectacular as well as the doc for The Shining. Kubrick's daughter made it and although crude and funny it is much better than any Hollywood-promo-behind-the-scenes-nonsense. You see the crew and cast working and its really great.

 

Travis

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Guest Robert Skates

GARDEN STATE has a great commentary with Zach Braff writer/director, Lawrence Sher director of photography, Myron Kerstein editor, and Judy Becker production designer. The best thing is that they were all in the same room when the commentary was recorded. They comment of their work and each others.

 

Great cinematography does not happen without great production design, editing and direction.

 

Robert Skates

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yeh "lost in la mancha' is fantastic..the movie itslef is a "making-of" doco. But the Special Ed has hours and hours of more stuff, its very comprehensive and pretty funny too..if not somewhat scary!

 

Hellboy and King Kong also have heeaaps of special features tho I dont know how much specifically about cinematography. I remember the King Kong production diaries (approx 6 hours of behind the scenes) had a featurette about the cameras as well as one about the film proccesing and colour correction.

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Dusk Til Dawn - a Full Length Doc, Full Tilt Boogie, looks at the crew of the shoot instead of the talent. What sets it apart from others is in the way it doesnt just head for the nearest H.O.D. but stays with the sparks, grips, loaders and wardrobe assistants. Yes, stars appear, but they are never the focus and that makes the film all the better for it. It also documents the union dispute that flared up during the course of production. Of course the Bias is pretty open but its fun to see.

 

Lost In LaMancha is great. . . . but so is the previous doc from those guys on Twelve Monkeys. Called "The Hamster Factor" this is what "Mancha" would have become if the shoot had survived.

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"Russian Ark" has one of the most interesting 'making-of' special features of any movie I've seen, I think.

 

id like to 2nd this. you will find the behind the scenes very interesting, escpecially if you are a steadicam op.

 

i also think that Lost in La Mancha is fantastic, a great look into Terry's world. It doesnt feature much about cinematography but is very interesting to watch.

 

last night i watched Nathalie on DVD - it had a great dir/actor section;

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