Pre-Production

Well, what do I know about pre-visualization and planning? Well, first off you need to come up with a concept to work with. I have no idea if there is any worthwhile way of explaining how to come up with a story or significant thought. That is part of the magic of creativity. Anyway, come up with your concept. Ask lots and lots of questions about every aspect of every scene you are imagining. What is trying to be conveyed? What is going on? What do the characters think and feel? What is the subtext? Use the answers to these questions to help come up with the storyboard and shot list. Ideally, every visual component of the composition will be thought out. Shoot outside if it provides the right setting and light. Go for inside if you want something less comfortable or more institutional. Use a studio if it is essential to control every subtle change in lighting. There is no one easy way to answer the question, "How do you know what to shoot, where to shoot, and how to light?" What I can say for sure is that whatever you do plan on, it needs to be meaningful and relevant to the work being expressed.

Let There Be Light!

Well, for a topic on light I think it appropriate to display some work by one of the most famous photographers, Ansel Adams. His black and white nature and landscape photos take full advantage of the possibilities of light.


An interesting desert tree. The shadows from the rocks balance well the shadows amidst the tree branches. The background geography is well lit and accentuates the form of the tree.




Very very cool use of sunlight. The mountains in the background look absolutely amazing because of the sunlight beating down on the clouds. It makes them look alive.




This is my favorite of the three images. The Snake River is in the foreground with the Tetons in the background. The use of reflection off the water makes the landscape dull in comparison to the river, which looks on fire. The mountains as well look amazing due to the backlight of the sun. To me they almost look as if they are currently bursting through the ground and being created right at the moment. The light gives them such energy.

Loathing!

We are in for a treat today: an analysis of the elevator scene in Terry Gilliam's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (DP: Nicola Pecorini).

Two hallucinating gentlemen walk into an elevator and meet a reporter and her crew.
Our first shot:
First off, almost all the shots in the scene are Dutch angles like this one. This is because the main characters (played by Benicio del Toro and Johnny Depp) are currently tripping (I believe on acid.) The tilted angle of the shots helps emphasize their sense of confusion and altered perceptions. The lighting of the scene really emphasizes Cameron Diaz, who is near the center of the shot as well. Just as she is the viewer's main focus in this shot she quickly becomes the main characters' main focus as well.

This is the close-up of del Toro used throughout the scene. It is from well below eye-angle. I think this accomplishes a few things. First off, it forces the viewer to see him from an angle that could not possibly be from another character's point of view. This along with the Dutch angle enforces del Toro's unnatural state of mind and the awkward, cramped atmosphere of the scene. Secondly, this angle really emphasizes his cigarette and eyes, making him seem more shifty. Lastly, I think that this bottom-up angle used traditionally to portray characters of authority emphasizes the absurdity of the film's story. The slightly out-of-focus (surely because he is not very important) guy in the background looks pretty fun and his fear reminds you again of the proximity and awkwardness of the scene.


Here is Cameron Diaz's close-up. It is not a Dutch angle. This is not only because she is sober; it also gives the shot a more in-your-face feeling and actually looks like it would be del Toro's point of view. The guy in the background is dimly-lit and dirty, making him almost blend in with the wall and forcing the viewer's eyes to Cameron Diaz's face.


Johnny Depp's close-up. The same results as del Toro's close-up are achieved. The only difference is that there is nobody else in the shot with him. This is because in the scene he is separate from the action; everything revolves around del Toro and the other characters.

These next stills show a shot that follows del Toro as he moves from one corner of the elevator to the next



The single, long, and slow action shot that follows del Toro emphasizes the tension of the reporter and her crew as they become not only uncomfortable but actually afraid. Dutch angle the entire time.


The tension is lifted for a moment when the elevator stops on a floor to reveal these two people. This shot, the only other not a Dutch angle, is from above eye-level. This and the fact that it is a full shot keeps an impersonal tone that allows for laughs and emphasizes that these people have no idea what they are getting into.


This shot shows us the suprising scene from their point of view and the over-the-shoulder nature of the shot forces us to realize it.


The getaway, Depp and del Toro running down the hall after disembarking the elevator. The film cuts straight to this with no shot of them exiting the elevator, I believe to highlight how frantic they are. Dutch angle again.