Glossy look(I have no idea what I'm talking about)

Montaser Bakush · January 3, 2016

Hello everyone,

If you've seen the movies "Drive" and "Nightcrawler" or even their trailers. There's a unique look in dark scenes, which I've only seen in these two movies. The image looks cool and glossy. I don't really know how to describe it and I'm pretty sure it has a name, but I'm just a rookie in college. It is immediately noticeable upon seeing the movies side by side.

Thank you.

Fito Pardo Cinematographer · January 3, 2016

I seen both and they look more flat than glossy, but if you want to make that look just play with curves on any davincci, there are tons of demos on youtoube on how to make that same look,but I can be mistaken and you mean the contrasty look, so just play with contrast on your film.

Montaser Bakush · January 3, 2016

What is the effect called exactly?

Can you link me to one of those videos?

Thanks.

Bill DiPietra · January 3, 2016

Just watched both trailers and neither has any specific look - other than what I would call "professional" - that I can see. For Drive, there is a bit of a glow to the day-interiors as well as the scenes in the elevator. But nothing too noticeable. Both films seem to have a lot of night exteriors, as well.

Maybe you could post a picture. After all, we are dealing with a visual medium...

Fito Pardo Cinematographer · January 3, 2016

Well, what I do all the time is do some testing with still photos to photoshop to get the right look try to watch this:

Or write in search of youtube: instagram look in photoshop, the curves pallete is the same everywhere, when i match what I am looking to do, I go to my color corrector and ask the same look and push the limits of the curves pallete of the DaVinci or any color correction program that you might have access to.

Satsuki Murashige · January 3, 2016

Hello everyone,

If you've seen the movies "Drive" and "Nightcrawler" or even their trailers. There's a unique look in dark scenes, which I've only seen in these two movies. The image looks cool and glossy. I don't really know how to describe it and I'm pretty sure it has a name, but I'm just a rookie in college. It is immediately noticeable upon seeing the movies side by side.

Thank you.

If you can, please post some still frames that illustrate the look you're referring to. Otherwise, we can't really get into specifics since they are so many variables.

Montaser Bakush · January 3, 2016

Something like this I guess

Fito Pardo Cinematographer · January 3, 2016

That is not glossy, that is plain lighting with contrast (lots of it) on the above image you can see light just from one side the green texture is way more flatter than glossy, is probably that same instagram look that you can create in curves.

In the bellow image you have less contrast but still is contrast, you have one source light on his right side, lights from the car and lights on the street, probably the color correction went to contrast and dark looks, still I dont see it glossy.

Any way if you are looking for that very sharp look on newer films, probably that is because sharp settings are high, they are shooting in one of the newer digital cameras with out grain and in post they force the look to see it way more sharp than from the camera and less grain, it might also have the shutter closed so you can get a very strong glossy look.

Satsuki Murashige · January 3, 2016

Let's try to break this down. In the first still from 'Drive', first you have a close up shot in shallow focus with a medium to medium telephoto lens. Compositionally, you have a tight haircut with the actor pushed to the left third of the frame and eyes very close to the top of the frame. Edgy framing rather than classical.

The camera is close to the actor's eyeline, meaning that he is almost looking right at us but just off to camera right. The lens is also just below the eyeline so that he looks just above the lens. The right side of frame leading the eyeline of the actor is lit, the left side behind him is dark with bright bokeh in the far distance on the dark side to create depth. This is more classical, letting us look directly into the actor's face and creating depth through layers of contrast.

For lighting, you have a key light which is possibly a practical mercury vapor street lamp (monochromatic cyan), high and sidey off of camera right. The actor is in half light, with the top of the side window flagging his forehead. The emphasis is on the cheek and jawline while keeping the eyes in shadow, creating a graphic mysterious look. Again, edgy rather than classical. Finally, the color is a sickly 'off white', suggesting a mercury vapor street lamp source, as well as something moody, dangerous, and edgy about the situation, location, and possibly the character.

So instead of glossiness, I think you are responding to the mood creating by the intentional framing, lensing, lighting, and color grading. In other words, storytelling through cinematography.