1. Define Your Budget
Before you dive into the world of cameras, it’s essential to establish your budget. Cameras come in various price ranges, from budget-friendly options to high-end professional models. Setting a budget will help narrow down your choices and prevent overspending. Remember that while expensive cameras can offer exceptional quality, many affordable options provide excellent results for independent filmmakers.

2. Determine Your Filmmaking Goals

Understanding your filmmaking goals is crucial when choosing a camera. Are you making short films, documentaries, or feature-length movies? Do you need a camera for personal projects or professional work? Your goals will influence the features and capabilities you require in a camera.

How to Determine Your Filmmaking Goals:

Self-Reflection: Take time to reflect on your motivations, interests, and aspirations as a filmmaker. Consider what stories or themes resonate with you and why you want to tell them.

Research: Study the work of filmmakers you admire and analyze their career trajectories. Understanding their goals and achievements can provide insights into your own path.

Collaborative Discussion: If you’re working with a team, engage in open discussions about each team member’s goals and expectations. Collaboration is most effective when everyone is working toward a common objective.

Prioritization: If you have multiple goals, prioritize them based on importance and feasibility. This will help you focus your energy and resources effectively.

Flexibility: While setting clear goals is essential, remain open to adapt as your project evolves. Filmmaking is a dynamic process, and sometimes, the most incredible opportunities arise from unexpected changes.

3. Consider the Camera Type
There are several types of cameras commonly used in filmmaking:

DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras: These are popular among indie filmmakers due to their affordability and versatility. They offer interchangeable lenses, which can provide a cinematic look with the right glass.
Cinema Cameras: Designed specifically for filmmaking, cinema cameras offer robust features, superior image quality, and professional-grade outputs. However, they are typically more expensive.
Camcorders: Camcorders are user-friendly and designed for handheld shooting. They are suitable for documentaries and run-and-gun style filmmaking.
Consider the type of camera that aligns best with your shooting style and project requirements.

4. Resolution and Sensor Size
The resolution and sensor size of a camera are critical factors in determining image quality. Higher-resolution cameras can capture more detail, but they may also require more storage space and processing power. Full-frame or larger sensors generally produce better image quality, especially in low-light conditions. However, smaller sensors can be more portable and cost-effective.

Here’s how sensor size influences your photography and videography:

Light Sensitivity: Larger sensors typically have larger individual pixels, which can capture more light. This results in better low-light performance, reduced noise, and improved image quality in challenging lighting conditions.

Depth of Field: Sensor size also affects the depth of field (DoF). Cameras with larger sensors can achieve a shallower DoF, allowing for greater background blur and subject isolation.

Dynamic Range: Larger sensors often offer better dynamic range, enabling the capture of more details in both highlights and shadows.

Size and Portability: Cameras with larger sensors tend to be bulkier and heavier. Smaller sensors are more compact and suitable for travel or casual photography.

Crop Factor: Sensor size can affect the effective focal length of a lens. Smaller sensors have a crop factor that effectively increases the focal length of lenses, making them appear more zoomed in.

Cost: Cameras with larger sensors, especially full-frame, tend to be more expensive than those with smaller sensors.

5. Frame Rates and Slow Motion
Frame rates play a significant role in achieving various cinematic effects. Most cameras offer standard frame rates like 24fps (frames per second) for a cinematic look. If you want to explore slow-motion footage, look for a camera that can shoot at higher frame rates, such as 60fps, 120fps, or even 240fps.

Tips for Effective Slow Motion:

Frame Rate Selection: Choose the appropriate frame rate based on the scene’s content and intended effect. Faster frame rates (e.g., 120fps or 240fps) create smoother slow motion.

Shutter Speed: Adjust the shutter speed to maintain the desired amount of motion blur. A faster shutter speed results in crisper motion, while a slower one produces more motion blur.

Lighting: Slow-motion shots require more light, so ensure adequate lighting to prevent underexposure.

Editing: Edit slow-motion sequences carefully to maintain visual coherence and storytelling flow.

Sound Design: Pay attention to sound design when using slow motion, as it can complement the visuals and enhance the emotional impact.

6. Low-Light Performance
That magical ability of a camera to capture clear and beautiful images even when the sun has gone down. It’s what separates snapshot machines from true photographic powerhouses, letting you capture the moody atmosphere of a dimly lit bar, the breathtaking expanse of a starlit sky, or the raw emotion of a candlelit conversation.

But what exactly makes a camera excel in low light? Let’s dive into the technical wizardry behind it:

Sensor Size: Imagine the sensor as a light bucket. Bigger buckets collect more light, right? That’s exactly what happens with larger sensors. They gather more photons, the tiny packets of light that create an image, resulting in brighter, cleaner photos even in the dark. Full-frame cameras boast the biggest buckets, followed by APS-C and Micro Four Thirds sensors, with smaller sensors like those in smartphones struggling the most in low light.

ISO Sensitivity: Think of ISO as a volume knob for light. Cranking it up amplifies the signal from the sensor, allowing you to capture images in darker environments. But there’s a catch: higher ISO also introduces noise, those grainy speckles that mar your photos. Modern cameras, however, strike an impressive balance, letting you push the ISO surprisingly high while keeping noise under control.

Aperture: This adjustable opening in the lens controls how much light reaches the sensor. Wider apertures (lower f-numbers) let in more light, making them ideal for low-light shooting. However, they also affect depth of field, so you’ll need to play around to find the sweet spot between brightness and blur.

Image Stabilization: Keeping the camera steady is crucial for sharp, low-light shots. Even the slightest shake can blur the image. Image stabilization systems, either built-in or in the lens, compensate for camera movement, ensuring crisp photos even at slower shutter speeds needed in low light.

7. Lens Compatibility
Interchangeable lenses provide versatility in filmmaking. Check if the camera you’re considering has a range of compatible lenses that suit your needs. Prime lenses offer superior image quality and wider apertures for achieving a shallow depth of field, while zoom lenses provide flexibility in framing and composition.

8. Audio Capabilities
Audio quality is just as crucial as video quality in filmmaking. Look for a camera with good built-in microphones or the option to connect external audio equipment. XLR inputs are standard for professional audio recording.

Why Audio Matters:

Imagine a silent film. Sure, the visuals might be stunning, but something feels missing, right? Audio fills that void, weaving a tapestry of sound that draws you deeper into the story. Dialogue, sound effects, and even subtle ambient noise can add realism, evoke emotions, and provide crucial context to your visuals.

Types of Audio Recording:

Built-in Microphones: Most cameras have built-in mics, offering basic audio capture. While convenient, they often pick up unwanted noise and lack directionality.
External Microphones: For superior audio quality, consider external mics. Shotgun mics excel at focusing on specific sounds, while lavalier mics clip onto your subjects for close-up audio.

Camera Audio Features:

Audio Input Jack: Look for a camera with a 3.5mm jack for connecting external mics, expanding your audio recording options.
Headphone Jack: Monitoring audio while filming is crucial. A headphone jack lets you ensure you’re capturing the desired sounds.
Level Control: Adjusting audio levels on the fly can be a game-changer, especially in dynamic environments.

Choosing the Right Camera for Audio:

Filmmaking Style: Documentaries might prioritize clear dialogue, while narrative films might benefit from nuanced sound effects and atmospheric ambiance. Choose a camera that caters to your specific audio needs.

Budget: External mics and advanced audio features come at a cost. Set a realistic budget and prioritize your audio requirements.

User Interface: A camera with an intuitive audio interface makes recording and monitoring a breeze, allowing you to focus on capturing the moment.

9. Depth of Field

Depth of field refers to the range of distances in an image that appears acceptably sharp and in focus. It is essentially the area within the frame that appears to be in focus, while objects outside this range appear blurry or out of focus. DoF is a product of various factors, primarily controlled by the camera’s settings and the lens used.

Key Factors Influencing Depth of Field:

Aperture: The aperture setting (f-stop) of your camera lens is one of the most significant factors affecting DoF. A wide aperture (e.g., f/1.4) results in a shallow depth of field, where only a small portion of the image is in focus, creating a pronounced background blur (bokeh). In contrast, a narrow aperture (e.g., f/16) yields a deep depth of field, with more of the scene in focus, from foreground to background.

Distance to Subject: The proximity of your camera to the subject plays a role in DoF. When you’re closer to your subject, the depth of field becomes shallower, isolating the subject from the background. Conversely, moving farther away from your subject deepens the DoF.

10. Focal Length: The focal length of your lens also influences DoF. Telephoto lenses tend to have a shallower depth of field compared to wide-angle lenses. So, a portrait shot with a telephoto lens can have a beautifully blurred background, emphasizing the subject.

10. Chroma Sub-Sampling

chroma sub-sampling is a way to compress video data by reducing the amount of color information compared to luminance information. Why? Because the human eye is far more sensitive to changes in brightness than in color. Think of a black-and-white movie – it can still be incredibly compelling even without color, right? Chroma sub-sampling capitalizes on this fact to reduce file size without sacrificing the overall impact of the image.

Here’s how it works:

Luminance (luma): This refers to the brightness of the image. It’s represented by a full-resolution signal, ensuring sharp and accurate details.

Chrominance (chroma): This refers to the color information of the image. It’s often sub-sampled, meaning its resolution is reduced compared to luma.

There are different levels of chroma sub-sampling, with common ones being:

4:2:0: This reduces the chroma resolution horizontally by half and vertically by a quarter compared to luma. It’s a good balance between compression and quality, commonly used in streaming and DVDs.

4:2:2: This maintains full horizontal chroma resolution but reduces vertical by half. It offers better color fidelity and is preferred for editing and professional applications.

4:4:4: This provides full resolution for both luma and chroma, resulting in the highest color fidelity but also the largest file size. It’s primarily used in high-end production and post-production workflows.

Things to consider:

Impact on image quality: While chroma sub-sampling generally doesn’t affect casual viewing, it can create visible color artifacts, especially in areas with fine details or high contrast. 4:2:0 is more prone to these artifacts compared to 4:2:2 and 4:4:4.

File size: Higher chroma sub-sampling levels mean larger file sizes. Choose the level that balances quality and compression based on your needs.

Application: For casual viewing, 4:2:0 might be sufficient. For editing, professional work, or demanding applications, opt for 4:2:2 or 4:4:4.

Choosing the right camera isn’t just about picking a tool; it’s about finding a cinematic partner. With The Filmmaker’s Guide to Cameras, you now have the knowledge and confidence to navigate the technical maze and discover the perfect match for your vision. So, go forth, capture your stories, and unleash your inner auteur. The only limit is your imagination.

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Lee Strasberg

Lee Strasberg, born in1901, was an American actor, director, and acting teacher. In 1951, he became the Actors Studio director in New York City. In 1969, Strasberg founded the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City and Hollywood to teach his pioneered work.

Strasberg’s acting method is built on his philosophy that for an actor to be believable, he must believe his role and not just imitate real life.  The main goal of his “method” is to help the actor create real thoughts and emotions under imaginary circumstances. “The Method” is one of the most popular acting techniques. It was the method of choice for film and television actors in Hollywood.

Some of the famous actors who studied with Lee Strasberg are Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and Jane Fonda…

Check out this post we wrote about Actors who used the Method and went too far with it.

What are the characteristics of “Method” acting?

Relaxation

Lee Strasberg was convinced that a relaxed actor could enter a role and focus on a scene much more than a tense actor. So removing tension from the body is a big part of this acting technique. Actors concentrate on one aspect of their body at a time; moving and releasing it until it is free from tension.

Sense Memory and Concentration

Method actors use sense memory to connect to the given circumstances of the play – or movie – and their characters. 

Emotional Memory

In the Method, actors can use their own experiences to connect with their character’s emotional state. To do that, method actors use sense memory to recall a touching memory from their past.
But it is worth mentioning that this point has some withdrawals. Many actors initially feel overwhelmed by the emotions they experience with this exercise. Hence, it requires the guidance of a trained teacher and experience with simpler sense memory exercises.

Characterization

One of the strangest things you’ll see in Method acting class is actors walking around the classroom like animals. Actors use sense memory to explore what the animal sees, smells, hears, etc. Eventually, actors start to incorporate their animal characters with their human characters.

Script Analysis and Scene Work

Method acting is not just about sense memory. Actors learn how to break down a script, look for character clues and find the objective of a scene. Students learn to explore a part through improv techniques and substitutions, where actors substitute a relationship in the play for a relationship they have in real life, helping them relate to the conflict and their scene partner.

Lee Strasberg’s Acting Exercises

Lee Strasberg was focused on solving acting blocks and actor problems. This led him to develop a lot of unique exercises that do just that. The most popular is the moment-to-moment exercise, which helps the actors escape their real-world situations and be in the moment.

There are other acting exercises that Lee Strasberg did with his students and specific exercises to help the actor master the above points.

For example, the practice for sense memory and concentration includes simple exercises like the feeling of drinking coffee for beginner actors. While more advanced students learn to combine several sense memories at a time to create a character.

The place exercise has actors create a place for their characters through what they see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. One viral exercise for working on emotional scenes is the personal object exercise. In that, students use their senses to explore an object with great emotional value.

Another helpful Lee Strasberg exercise is the private moment, which allows actors to feel private in public and avoid stage fear by re-creating that experience through their senses.

For the emotional memory, if an actor is trying to connect with a character who feels the loss, they will try to recall an experience from their past when they felt loss by re-creating what they saw, tasted, smelled, heard, and touched that day.

Inspired by Stanislavsky, his method prompts actors to deepen and enhance their emotional connection to the material. So they try incorporating the characters’ experiences into their own lives.

For the characterization, Lee Strasberg did the animal exercise which is a very useful tool for actors to explore their characters. Students spend some time watching the animal, then recreating not only how the animal moves, but how it interacts with the world through its five senses.

Stella Adler

Stella Adler was a Broadway 22-year-old actress when she attended a performance by Constantine Stanislavski and his Moscow Art Theatre in 1922. His U.S. tour was a transformative moment for American theatre in general and would have a large impact on Stella Adler’s life in particular.

In 1931, Adler became one of the founding members of The Group Theater, along with Lee Strasberg and 2 other members. It would go on to become arguably the most influential ensemble in the 20th century, its influence extending beyond theatre and into cinema. 

Adler received 5-week training with Stanislavski becoming the first American to be taught by Stanislavski himself. Adler then splits from the Group Theater and from Lee Strasberg because each one of them interpreted Stanislavsky’s method differently as we’ll see in this post.

Some of the actors who studied with Stella Adler: were Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, Dolores del Río, Robert De Niro, Elaine Stritch, Martin Sheen, and Manu Tupou…

Stella Adler believed that actors’ talent lies in their imagination. This theater and film actress turned acting teacher trained with Stanislavsky and studied the method, but didn’t believe that an actor needs to relive past experiences to connect with the character. Through years of teaching, she developed an acting method that helps actors be truthful on stage by fully believing in the circumstances of the play.

Here are some points that describe the method of Stella Adler:

• Acting is Doing
  The actor must always do something on stage. He looks for actions in the script (for example, “to teach, to confess, to beg”, etc.) and finds the human conflict in them. He must have a justification for each action (know exactly why he is performing each action).
• Developing the imagination
  An actor develops his imagination by first observing the world around them in very specific details. they can then create specific images in their minds in order to surround themselves with things that are true to them on screen. If they succeed, the audience will see through their eyes.
• Training the mind
  Actors must have a real understanding of the script in order to reveal its secrets to the audience. They must study the text and its ideas but also research the social situations of the play.
• Size
  Actors need strong bodies and voices for the stage so they can bring size to their actions. Her students learned to always bring a bigger meaning to the text. 

Stella Adler’s acting exercises

Adler works on various exercises to increase the imagination of the actors such as describing objects and trying to relate to them, for example, she might ask an actor to describe very specific details of an object they choose, and the more they describe in specific details the more the object is alive and the more the audience feels it.

Another exercise that aims to make the actor look real and natural in his role is paraphrasing, where Adler makes her students choose a random sentence and try to make up a reason for saying it, first the actor needs to understand the idea, then respond to it and make it his own until he feels a real need to communicate it.

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Method acting is a technique actors use to get into character. It involves immersing oneself in the role and sometimes taking on some character traits. It became popular during the 1950s when Lee Strasberg introduced it at his Actor’s Studio in New York City.

What is Method Acting?

Method acting is a technique of many characteristics where an actor immerses themselves in the role. It’s a way of acting that strives to be as authentic as possible, using personal experiences and emotions to connect with the character.

To do this, method actors will often take on new names while filming. They may also change their appearance or even wear their own clothes from home!

Some of Hollywood’s greatest actors have used method acting. Even after filming wrapped, he still refused food or drink other than liquids through straws due to how much work he put into getting into character.

Here are 3 examples of actors who got too deep into their character through method acting. They produced an undeniably excellent performance, but at the same time, the technique affected their real-world lives!

Robert Di Niro – Taxi Driver

I am pretty confident that you know and have watched the movie. Anyway, here is a very brief recap about Taxi Driver:

Taxi Driver is a 1976 vigilante film co-written and directed by Martin Scorsese, set in New York City following the Vietnam War and starring Robert De Niro. The movie tells the story of Travis Bickle, an alienated taxi driver in New York City who attempts to rescue a 12-year-old prostitute he befriends from her pimp and falls in love with her.

Taxi Driver was nominated for 4 Academy Awards: 

• Best Picture
• Best Director (Scorsese)
• Best Supporting Actor (De Niro)
• Best Film Editing. 

In 2012, it was ranked 33rd on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 greatest American films of all time. Taxi Driver won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. 

De Niro won several critics’ awards for his performance, establishing him as an icon of modern cinema. This takes us to the main point of this blog post: Di Niro’s preparation and embodiment of the character, aka method acting.

How Robert Di Niro became Travis Bickle?

To get into the headspace of a lonely Vietnam vet with mental issues and a death wish, De Niro took on the role 24 hours a day. He lived in New York City before filming began so he could get accustomed to being there. He was also supposed to stay in character during breaks from shooting.

Scorsese reportedly had trouble getting De Niro out of character because he would start talking about how “Travis” felt when something happened. It was hard for him to separate himself from his role. But once they began production, things got even weirder than that. He would go around New York City dressed like Bickle and talking like him too!

De Niro took his preparation to the next level, spending a year living in character. He would talk to himself in the mirror and make himself angry before going set. He wore his own clothes and props that the character would have, including an M-1 carbine rifle from Vietnam War! To further prepare for the role of Travis Bickle, De Niro also obtained a taxi driver’s license and listened to a taped reading of the diaries of criminal Arthur Bremer over twenty times during production.

He also lost 30 pounds and took firearm training to prepare for his role in the Taxi Driver.

His dedication paid off when he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Travis Bickle in 1976.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant

The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, has earned much praise for its gritty depiction of 19th-century America.

The movie is based on the real-life experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass. 

DiCaprio plays Glass, while Hardy portrays John Fitzgerald, the man who abandoned him in the wilderness after he was attacked.

In an interview with Deadline about the film, DiCaprio said that he and his co-stars have committed to getting into character — even if it meant going too far.

“I think we all went too far,” he said. “But that’s the nature of our jobs as actors.”

So how did Dicaprio become the character?

In preparation for his role as Hugh Glass in The Revenant, the actor lived off the land in freezing conditions and ate raw bison liver for breakfast. The movie was shot in Calgary, Alberta, and Canada’s Banff National Park, where temperatures could reach as low as -25°C (-13°F).

DiCaprio said: “I think that I went through a lot of those same emotions [as Hugh Glass] while making this movie — but I don’t have any scars or bear attacks.”

It’s said that he ate raw bison liver during filming—a choice that may have been influenced by his desire to maintain a sense of realism. “I wanted it to be as visceral and immediate as possible,” DiCaprio explained his approach in an interview with Variety.

He didn’t just eat the animal organs; he spent much of his time on set sleeping in a hole in the ground or wrapped up like an animal carcass. This wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it helped him gain insight into what life was like for Glass:

“You’re out there, and it’s brutal and painful,” he said in another interview with Collider.” It becomes almost hallucinatory at times where you’re not sure if you’re awake or asleep anymore.”

Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

No list of method actors can skip the late Heath Ledger in his last movie, The Dark Knight.

In The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger plays the role of the Joker. His performance was so good that it was, and still is, considered one of the best performances in any comic book movie to date. Did you know that he got so into his character that he actually stayed in character even off-set?

Ledger would terrorize the cast members with threats and abuse and even went as far as to slash tires on their cars. He even had a personal assistant who would follow him all day, ensuring he didn’t hurt anyone while they were filming. 

Like Heath Ledger, Christian Bale took his role as Batman very seriously. While filming for The Dark Knight Rises, Christian Bale injured himself when he attempted to jump off a building onto a moving truck below him and broke his ankle in the process. He still finished filming despite this injury! 

We should be talking about Ledger’s performance here, but I wanted to briefly talk about Bale as an honorable mention 🙂

So back to the main subject: 

How did Heath Ledger become the Joker?

While preparing for the role, Heath Ledger didn’t just take inspiration from The Joker’s comic-book counterpart. He also spent much time with Mark David Chapman and other criminals. They had been imprisoned for their crimes against society. He even visited the San Quentin prison in California to get a feel for what it would be like to be locked up behind bars.

Heath Ledger was a method actor who took it to the extreme. He wasn’t just good at being someone else; he became them. He immersed himself in his character’s world until he could no longer separate himself from the role.

In the months leading up to The Dark Knight, Ledger lived in an isolated apartment where he could be left alone and focus entirely on becoming the Joker. He studied everything from clowning to dance theory to nail the character’s physicality and movement.

Is the method acting overrated?

Ultimately, it’s about finding a character and getting into their headspace. That doesn’t mean that all actors should do this.

Method acting is nothing if not controversial. Achieving “unity” between the actor and the character has gotten more than a few actors into trouble. At its best, method acting can produce results (many would argue even Oscar-worthy performances). Let’s say that method actors often go to extremes. If they’re lucky, they only end up in the funny pages. However, it’s happened that actors have hurt themselves and even died because of their method acting techniques.

Hollywood over-glorifies method acting, maybe to appreciate the hard work, dedication, and sometimes suffering the actors must endure in preparation for their roles. But then I also think of all the great performances and excellent actors that did not use this method and still gave life performances. 

I am not judging here, and I would not be able to say that one method is better than the other. At the end of the day, every actor does what works for them. What matters is the end result. As audiences and Hollywood (as critics), we should consider the final product when deciding on the quality and realism of the performance rather than getting overtaken by the stories behind the performance. This is just a personal thought 🙂

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In this post we will present 8 scriptwriting and directing techniques that are used to make the audience like immoral protagonist.

These 8 techniques are inspired by a psychology theory called Moral Disengagement.

So, we will be driving a new film theory from a psychology theory!

We will be explaining the anti-hero, the moral disengagement theory, and finally our new film theory.

If you wish to skip the psychology and jump right to our 8 directing and screenplay techniques to make the audience root for the bad guys… just click here.

What is an anti-hero?

An antihero is when the main character is actually the bad and immoral guy.

In other words, an anti-hero is when the protagonist has the traits of the antagonist in the story.

An antihero is a central character in a story, movie, or television show that lacks conventional heroic attributes you’d find in a traditional hero.

Jason Hellerman, What is an Anti Hero

Why Do People Root for the Bad Guys?

We are not talking here about the obvious reasons… Because they are the main character because the audience identifies with them, or because they actually have good in them…

First, the protagonist should be relatable. The viewers need to identify with the characters to be able to like them in the first place.

Let’s dive deeper into why the audience root for Dexter and Walter White.

Why they wanted Frank Underwood to reach his goal in becoming the president in House of Cards.

Why we want the members of a mafia to win over other members of the mafia? Talking here about The God Father, Peaky Blinders, Sons of Anarchy…

Theoretically, the audience should not root for criminals, thieves, and mafia members. And the viewers should not fall in love with drug deals, manipulators, and serial killers.

The answer to why we actually root for the bad guys is that we don’t regard them as bad.

The audiences don’t register the criminal acts of the protagonist as immoral or entirely wrong.

So there must be some filmmaking techniques that seem to work in disguising the immoral acts of the protagonist.

Let’s see what psychological mechanisms make us disregard an immoral act.

later, we can use these psychological mechanisms in our screenplay, and even convert them to directing techniques.

Maybe a little vague? bare with us.. we will get there eventually.

Psychology Theory: Moral Disengagement

Moral disengagement is a self mechanism that lets people do immoral actions without feeling the guilt.

There are 8 psychological devices that a person can use to look at an immoral act in a different way.

Through these devices, people can mute their moral censorship. Or, morally disengage.

Briefly, the 8 tools are:

1- Labeling: That is when we give a different and positive name to the action.

We are not lying, we are telling a white lie.

2- Justification: We think that our action serves a bigger moral purpose.

We lie to spare the feelings of others.

3-Diffusion of Responsibility: When many people are responsible for a “bad” action it becomes more acceptable.

Come on.. everybody lies.

4- Distortion of Consequences: When we don’t see the result of the immoral action. Or the outcome of the action is minimized.

My lie did not hurt anyone.

5- Replacing Responsibility: When we blame other people for pushing us to do the action.

My friend made me lie to her.

6- Blaming the Victim: When we see ourselves as victims and that the actual victim forced us to do the action.

7- Favorable Comparison: We look at our immoral act as fair when we compare it to worse action.

He has been cheating on her with her best friend. It’s Okay to lie on him this time.

8- Dehumanization: We don’t see the victim as human.

Filmmaking Techniques: Make the Audience Root for the Immoral Protagonist

We have an idea about these 8 moral disengagement devices.

Now, let’s see how we can use them as directing techniques and scriptwriting tools that filmmakers can use to manipulate the audience into rooting for the bad guys in movies and TV.

1- Labeling

Lead the audience to label these actions in a more positive way.

Or simply let the characters refer to the immoral actions in a different way.

Our first trick to make your viewers/readers accept the bad actions that the protagonist does is a screenplay technique that you can use in dialogues.

For example:

 Dexter is not killing, he is restoring justice.

Walter White is not selling meth, he is making money to provide for his family.

Thomas Shelby is not stealing weapons from the government, he is protecting his family.

2- Justification

Direct the viewers attention to an advantage for the immoral act.

For example:

Let’s say that the main character killed another character (X). The expected reaction from the audience would be dis-like the protagonist.

But, to avoid this reaction and maybe reverse it, you can emphasize the advantages of killing X.

So, let’s make this character X a rapist. He is about to rape a girl. Then, after X is killed, show that the girl is now safe.

1. Highlight that the girl is saved.
2. Show less of the negative effects of the killing. Such as the mourning of the family.

3- Diffusion of Responsibility

Another way to make the audience accept immoral acts done by the protagonist is to involve a group of characters in the action.

This way your main character will not be the only one to take the blame.

We say that the responsibility is diffused.

For example: Let’s say the main character is involved in a bank robbery.

To make the act seem less immoral, the robbery can be done by a group of characters including the main.

In this example, a character could threaten the workers with a gun, and another one takes the money. A character makes sure that no one is looking and another waites in the car.

This way, the main character’s action will be more acceptable because he did a small action that lead eventually to the bigger immoral act.

4- Distortion of Consequences

The audience could be lenient towards an immoral act if the negative consequences were misrepresented.

For example:

If the character is selling drugs to another character, don’t directly jump to a dark scene where the buyer is using or struggling from from a drug related problem.

You can choose to show the buyer high in a comedic scene. That is highlighting the positive outcome.

Or

You can show your protagonist/antagonist making use of the money he made. Going on a nice date, paying a debt… That is under representing or even neglecting the actual consequences of the action.

By that, you will be making the audience concentrate on the positive effects, and disregard the immoral act. Thus they will still be liking the immoral character and rooting for him.

5- Replacing Responsibility

Show that another character or organization is responsible for the bad action.  

Your character has to commit an immoral act. And you want the audience to still like him and root for him.

Then, lead the viewers to displace the responsibility on the authorities rather than the character who committed the act.

Example:

The protagonist killed another character in the movie or TV series.

Then, you can make the main character a member of a gang, and the gang leader ordered the killing.

But wait… This would not be enough to totally replace the responsibility.

It will help to have a scene where you show that the protagonist disapproves the killing. And that he is obliged to do it.

So imagine that the gang leader threatens to hurt the protagonists’ love interest if he did not follow the killing order.

At this point, the options of the character are very narrow and the killing order must be obeyed.

Finally, and to seal the deal, let the character show some hesitation and internal struggle while committing the act.

6- Blaming the Victim

This technique is to turn the “bad guy” into the victim.

It is actually used almost all the time in movies and TV series. The easiest example is any scenario of revenge.

If a character X inflected severe hurt on your protagonist, the audience will not only accept it when the main character acts immorally towards character X, they will actually be cheering for it.

7- Favorable Comparison

When the antagonist does an immoral act, have a different character do another bad action that results in much worse circumstances.

This way, your viewers will see the crime of the antihero smaller. Thus they will root for the bad guy.

For example, have 2 scenes in the screenplay where the characters are stealing a house:

The main character breaks into the house and restrains the members in it, and steals their belongings.

On the other hand, the opposite character breaks in, kills the members on the first chance, and steals their belongings.

When the viewers compare between these two actions, that of the main character would appear minor and even may seem moral.

In order to promote that comparison, it would help to have the action close in time so that the audiences can easily recall them and compare them.

8- Dehumanization

The audience may excuse an immoral act conducted on an “inhuman” character.

Of course we don’t mean animals when we was inhuman!

Establish within your scenes that the victim is heartless, a criminal, let other characters refer to him with inhuman names (a beast), or let it be a corrupt organization.

To Answer The Question: How to Make The Audience Root for the Bad Guys?

Lead the audience to believe that the “bad” or immoral actions are not really bad.

This can be done using some screenplay techniques such as giving a reasonable motivation, blaming other characters for the actions of your protagonist, making the immoral action seem minor in comparison to what the antagonist did. You can also play on words by referring to the crime with a positive description and referring to the victim with non-human adjectives.

The post How to make the audience root for the bad guys (A new theory using psychology) appeared first on AV FilmSchool.

If you are reading this post, then We are sure you have already seen some of these movies and you would be familiar with many of the directors.

We recommend that you add the ones that you haven’t watched yet to your watch list.

Many titles and directors on this list will pop up in conversations about cinema or in film classes.

We carefully created this must-watch movie list to be as diverse as possible. We included old and new movies from different genres by international directors.

In every entry we will talk about:

• Why are these directors important
• What is the director’s style
• The most important movie in the director’s filmography
• Why you should watch this movie

Note: movies are listed in random chronology and not according to their importance.

1. The Godfather (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)

Francis Ford Coppola is a major film figure especially in Hollywood in the 1960s and 1970s. He is one of the greatest American directors.

The director is best known and appreciated for directing The Godfather:

A trilogy that defined the gangster genre and mafia movies.

The Godfather is an essential film for any cinema lover to watch.

You most probably have already watched it, but a list of must-watch movies could not be complete without The Godfather.

The Godfather is a very good example of how cinematography (lighting and framing) can help in telling the story and establishing the style of a movie.

The director (and of course cinematographer Gordon Willis) used dark lighting to create a dark, uncomfortable, and sinister feel.

Concerning framing, the characters were positioned within the space of the frame to communicate where the characters stand in particular situations.

Coppola used this framing technique in a natural way so that the audience would not feel that the frames are artificial.

2. Citizen Kane (Dir. Orson Welles, 1941)

Orson Welles (1915-1985) would be the first director to come to mind when creating a list of directors and movies that film students should watch.

He changed the way movies were shot at his time.

Welles is considered one of the greatest and most influential directors of all time.

Of course, we can debate and elaborate on this statement, but this is not the place for our personal preferences.

Anyway, Welles is an American director, screenplay writer, producer, and actor. He is an excellent introduction to classic Hollywood cinema.

Orson Welles is most known for his innovative narrative techniques and use of dramatic lighting,

His greatest accomplishment is of-course, Citizen Kane:

Orson Welles co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this movie.

Many critics consider Citizen Kane as the greatest movie ever made. (We say its great.. but the greatest?! debatable)

Before this movie, movies were shot using static camera (fixed shots). Citizen Kane changed this perception and many directors started using moving shots and high and low camera angles.

Its influence is still present in today’s cinema.

3. Seven Samurai (Dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1954)

The first Japanese director to have international acclaim and success among both film critics and the audience.

Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) is among the most important director in the history of cinema.

His filming style is a trademark. Kurosawa often bridges Japanese and Western themes in his movies.

That’s why the international audience relates to his movies.

If film students wanted to get introduced to the director’s work, we recommend starting with Seven Samurai.

This Japanese movie by the great Kurosawa is one of the first action movies. It has some action sequences that we still consider great even in comparison to recent movies.

Seven Samurai laid down the fundamental structure of the action film genre.

On top of that, it is a highly entertaining movie that almost anyone can enjoy.

4. Breathless (Dir. Jean-Luc Godard, 1960)

Jean-Luc Godard started as a film critic in the French film magazine Cahiers du Cinema. He used to criticize the French mainstream cinema.

Later, Godard and some of his fellow cretics started directing movies of their own rather than just complaining.

Those filmmakers expressed their philosophies about life and art. By that, they changed cinema as people knew it at their time.

Godard is one of the most influential French directors. He is a pioneer in the French New Wave film movement in the 1960s.

Experimenting with: film narrative + continuity +camera angles + movements = Godard

To better understand Godard’s experimental directing techniques, and to have an idea about the movies of the French New Wave, look no further than the movie: Breathless.

Not a movie that can be enjoyed by all people, but it is undoubtedly a must-watch for people who appreciate the art of film.

If you are a film student or a film lover, then you are expected to have seen Godard’s Breathless.

Breathless is a very well crafted film. It gives a unique experience of watching movies.

Godard broke the “rules” of cinema to make a statement about the innovation and renovation of the film industry.

Finally, this movie is the go-to film to give examples of jump cuts: an editing technique that Godard was one of the first to use in cinema.

5. Rope (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1948)

No list of influential directors and must-watch movies can be complete without a movie by Alfred Hitchcock: the founder of the modern horror genre.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) is an English director and screenplay writer. He is the most studied director in the history of cinema.

Many books and retrospectives researched his persona and directing style.

Hitchcock has a unique directing style.

Basically, his camera movements feel as if it is the point of view of a person who is looking at the characters in the movie.

Let’s get technical: We call his camera work voyeurism or the gaze.

From the French word voyeur which means looking at or peeking. We now refer to this type of camera movement as the Hitchcockian style.

Many critics refer to Hitchcock as the master of suspense.

When you hear Hitchcock, you would think of his cameo appearances in almost all his movies.

Of course, Psycho is the most known movie. Read Psycho – A Timeless Classic

But film students should be familiar with Rope as well.

Rope is Hitchcock’s first colored movie. And like most of his movies, Rope belongs to the psychological crime thriller genre.

Film students must watch this movie because it is distinct in Hitchcock’s filmography.

The movie takes place in real-time. Meaning that the events of the movie don’t jump in time.

Rope was also filmed as a one long shot.

It was actually shot in 10 takes that were designed to look like a single shot with editing techniques.

6. Pulp Fiction (Dir. Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most influential, maybe the most influential, directors of our age.

The American director, screenwriter, and producer is an icon of post-modern cinema.

Tarantino is most known for using graphic violence and for his unpredictable scripts, and for the long dialogue scenes.

All Tarantino movies include references and homages to other movies.

We can recommend many great movies by Tarantino… Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Natural Born Killers, Django Unchained… Just to name a few.

Yet, for this list it was natural to choose Pulp Fiction:

Pulp Fiction is Tarantino’s masterpiece.

The movie got great critical praise. A large number of the audience also love this film.

When talking about post-modern cinema, Pulp Fiction would be the first refrence to come to mind.

Tarantino used non-linear storytelling. That is changing the chronological order of events.

Although the audience needed to figure out the order of events, the movie remained (somehow) easy to understand and very entertaining.

It combined gory violence with comedy and features great dialogue and acting.

Obviously, Pulp fiction was not the first movie to use these techniques, but it can be considered the most popular one of its time (and probably till now).

7. 8 ½ (Dir. Federico Fellini, 1963)

The most celebrated Italian director and one of the most important film figures of all time.

Frederico Fellini (1920-1993) is an Italian film director and screenplay writer. He is a major influence of the Italian neorealism film movement.

Fellini is most famous for his directing style that blends fantasy and dream like sequences with normal and real-life situations.

His movies require a selected taste in arthouse cinema in order to be fully appreciated and understood the way they are intended to be.

Among his well known movies: Roma, La Dolce Vita, and La Strada.

Those are all very good movies. But for a list of movies that film students (and film lovers in general) should watch, we couldn’t but have 8 1/2 among the selected movies.

This masterpiece is considered a celebration of cinema.

The movie is about a director making a movie, and the title refers to the number of films the director has made until that point.

Simply, 8 ½ is the best film on the subject of filmmaking.

It is a must-watch for anyone interested in making a professional career in movies.

Add to that, 8 1/2 is a great introductory to Italian cinema, especially Italian neorealism.

8. Taste of Cherry (Dir. Abbas Kiarostami, 1997)

Kiarostami (1940-2016) is a main figure in the Iranian New Wave.

He is one of the masters of modern cinema.

The Iranian director gained big international praise from film critics, film scholars, and the audience.

Many of his fellow directors expressed their appreciation for his work and honored him. Among these directors: Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, and Martin Scorsese.

Kiarostami’s trademark: poetic dialogues and a documentary filming style in his narrative movies.

When you watch his filmography, you can sense that the writer/director is most interested in political and philosophical issues.

Among his watch-worthy movies: Close-up, and Shirin. But his most popular movie is Taste of Cherry:

Taste of Cherry follows the principles of the Iranian New Wave by rejecting the Western “rules” of cinema.

So, the movie does not have a beginning, middle, and end. No character arc. No ending or closure.

Film students must watch this movie to witness a great example of realism and the documentary style of filming.

You must know that because this movie comes from Iran (a highly conservative Islamic country).

The mastery of Kiarostami is presented by touching on subjects that are taboo in the country and that would result in banning the film.

Therefore, the movie has “hidden” meanings and can be open to interpretation with topics of suicide and homosexuality.

We should warn you though: if you are not familiar with arthouse cinema, Taste of Cherry can be the opposite of entertaining (we don’t want to say boring). But filmmakers and film lovers would know what to appreciate about it.

9. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Dir. Alain Resnais, 1959)

Alain Resnais (1922-2014) is a French Director. He is a name that film buffs and film students should know about specifically for his filming techniques.

He is known for using an unconventional narrative technique and for dealing with difficult themes such as the consciousness, the imagined past, and troubled memory.

These themes and style made many critics criticize Resnais’s movies as being emotionally cold where the filming technique overthrows the characters of the movies.

Although Resnais refused to label himself as a French New Wave director, his movies still align with the philosophy of this film movement.

From his long filmography, you can consider watching Providence and Last Year at Marienbad.

But when you want to get introduced to this director, we recommend to start with his most acclaimed movie: Hiroshima Mon Amour:

Resnais’ revolutionary work of art in cinema is manifested in Hiroshima Mon Amour through the use of time.

The film is about a romantic affair that has little to do with the bomb (The atomic bomb in Hiroshima) while having this historical event present in the background of the events. 

10. Blue Velvet (Dir. David Lynch, 1986)

Davide Lynch is an American filmmaker. He is the most popular surrealist.

Film students who want to have an idea about film styles and about the directors that left their mark in the history of cinema need to be introduced to this auteur director.

David Lynch would be the first director that comes to mind when it comes to contemporary surrealistic cinema.

Lynch is most known for using disturbing and mind-bending visuals.

when you watch a movie for Lynch, you should feel the movie rather than understanding it.

This is because his movies seem to be interested in the idea and the visuals more than the story.

Some of his work: Twin Peaks (TV series), The Elephant Man, and Dune.

They are all good movies, but we choose Blue Velvet as a must-watch movie that film students should be familiar with.

Blue Velvet is a very good introductory for David Lynch and is actually one of his greatest works.

It is considered a masterpiece for mixing dream (actually nightmares) with reality with subconsciousness. And the movie is particularly important for its use of symbolism.

11. 12 Angry Men (Dir. Sidney Lumet, 1957)

Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) is an American director.

Best known for: Strong skills in directing actors.

Maybe Lumet’s work did not change or collaborate in the art of film to the extent that the other directors on this list did. But his directing style is a very good example of classical Hollywood naturalism or realism.

Mainly, his camera movement are very subtle that the audience would not feel the presence of the camera.

His editing honors realism by having invisible cuts. This draws as little attention as possible to the presence of the camera.

His most famous and must-watch movie is 12 Angry Men:

12 Angry Men is a must-watch for filmmakers because it gives an example of how to make a movie compelling using dialogue.

The film is essentially just 12 men arguing around a table for 90 minutes.

The greatness of this film lies in the use of a single location setting. Add to that excellent acting and directing.

12. A Clockwork Orange (Dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1971)

Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) is one of the few directors who don’t need proof to call an artist and a master of cinema.

Most probably, cinema lovers and film students who are reading this post are already familiar with the director and his work.

We are sure you have already watched at least one of these movies: Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shot, Full Metal Jacket…

Kubrick stands as one of the most influential and intelligent filmmakers our world has yet produced.

No where is this better demonstrated than in A Clockwork Orange.

This is one of the most controversial films on this list because of its violent and sexually explicit scenes.

A Clockwork Orange displays the director’s unique style in using tracking shots, symmetry, music, and stylistic directing and acting.

When watching this film pay attention to how Kubrick expresses ideologies through his cinematography and script.

13. Fargo (Dir. Joel & Ethan Coen, 1996)

The most famous and influential directing Duo.

Joel and Ethan Coen or as you may know them: the Coen brothers.

These American directors work with different film genres and usually mix comedy with gory violence.

The brothers have co-directed many movies that are both entertaining and have artistic values such as The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and Burn After Reading.

And of course: Fargo (the movie)

Fargo is an important film to watch in the crime genre. That is because at its time it challenged the elements of the crime/action genre.

The movie combined action, comedy, suspense, violence, drama…

The story follows a pregnant woman dealing with dangerous and incompetent men. At that time almost all action movies were lead by male actors.

Fargo is a great example of how to create round or three dimensional characters. The characters are believable and real and not designed just to serve that action in the narrative.

14. In The Mood for Love (Dir. Wong Kar-Wai, 2000)

This Chinese director is one of the most important figures in the Hon Kong cinema. He is also among the influential directors worldwide.

Wong Kar-Wai has a distinct style.

The director is known for the use of non-linear narratives. Visually, his movies have strong and saturated colors, and he depends on slow motion in many of his scenes.

Also, music plays an essential role in Wong Kar-Wai’s scenes. Atmospheric music is usually in the background and used to highlight the emotions and the general mood.

The director concretely established his filmmaking trademark in his best movie (in our opinion): In The Mood For Love

Aspiring filmmakers must-watch In the Mood for Love to get introduced to the Chinese cinema and the unique style of Wong Kar-Wai.

This movie is special because of the tone its sets, its use of color, cinematography, and framing.

Notice the use of frame in frame in most of the shots of the movie.

When you want an example of camera language, In The Mood for Love would be the go-to movie.

Trivia: The director and actors improvised most of the movie while filming. It took 15 months to finish shooting. The script and dialogues were changing on set.

We will not elaborate because we don’t want to ruin the experience. You can read this article after watching the movie.

15. Biutiful (Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2010)

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a Mexican film director and screenwriter.

Inarritu is recognized internationally. He was the first Mexican director to be nominated for the best director in the Academy Awards.

He is known for telling international stories about the human condition.

A sample of his work: Babel, Birdman, and The Revenant.

There are many excellent movies in the filmography of Inarritu that may be more popular than the movie we choose: Biutiful

The director offers his audience an entire created world, personal and distinctive. Biutiful is his most accomplished film so far.

The movie is most appreciated for how it portrays the city of Barcelona, and how the director uses tragedy in poetry filmmaking.

16. Dancer in The Dark (Dir. Lars von Trier, 2000)

The Danish director Lars von Trier could be one of the most important art-house film directors in our modern history.

He is the most controversial director on this list.

The movies of Lars Von Trier mostly tackle subjects of mental health, sexuality, and existential issues.

He has directed many important movies such as Dogville, Antichrist, and Melancholia.

We think film students must watch all these movies. But, for this list, we decided to recommend Dancer In The Dark.

If you are familiar with the director you could say that he has better films than Dancer in The Dark.

We agree… But we chose this movie to be on this list because of its uniqueness.

Dancer in the Dark is a tragedy as tragedy movies can be. It is also a musical.

Filmmakers should experience this movie to see how 2 very different genres can be combined.

It is also a great example of how to use music to help tell a story.

17. Persona (Dir. Ingmar Bergman, 1966)

One of the greatest directors in motion picture history. Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) is a Swedish director and writer.

Among his influential films: Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal…

For this list we choose Persona:

Persona is one of his most known and most beautiful movies directed by Bergman.

Film students must watch Persona because it is the best example of the use of close-up.

Notice how the director uses Close-up shots to tell the story and give his scenes a new layer of meaning.

What is also special about the movie is it’s framing:

Bergman cast two similar-looking actresses. and used this resemblance to visually demonstrate the film’s approach to the subject of identity and the psychological state of the characters.

For example, the director films half of the face of the main character with half of the face of the other.

The resulting half-and-half face turned out to be one of the most memorizable shots. The beauty of this shot is that it visually represents the psychological state of the character.

More of these signature shots are there in the movie.

In another shot, he filmed one character in profile, and one face on to the camera. Other times the faces overlap.

Film students, consider this movie as a master class on how you can express the state of teh characters and the theme of the movie visually.

18. Bicycle Thieves (Dir. Vittorio De Sica, 1948)

Vittorio De Sica (1901-1974) is an Italian director and actor. He is a major figure in the Italian neorealism film movement.

He directed many outstanding films, but none with a greater impact on cinema than Bicycle Thieves.

Vittorio de Sica’s 1948 classic Ladri di Biciclette, or Bicycle Thieves is a great example of Italian neorealism.

All the characters are played by people who are not professional actors.

The movie is filmed in real locations (not sets).

And, the traditional storyline of Hollywood movies is absent. Meaning that there is no beginning, middle, and end in the traditional sense.

Critics consider this a communist film: It is both art and politics.

19. All About My Mother (Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, 1999)

Almodovar is considered one of the most internationally successful Spanish filmmakers.

He is the director of women.

His films always explore issues such as sexuality, transgender, and women’s life.

The movies of Almodovar all share complex narratives, melodrama, and popular popular songs.

His trade mark strong colors (especially red) and elaborate sets.

Some of his important films: Talk to Her, Bad Education, Matador.

For this list we choose the movie: All About My Mother

We think that All About My Mother is a good film to watch as an introductory to Almodovar.

The movie is entertaining, and all Almodova’s signatures are there. From the melodrama genre to the bright colors, shiny sets, sexual themes, and unconventional comedy.

20. Taxi Driver (Dir. Martin Scorsese, 1976)

Martin Scorsese is one of the most influential living directors.

He is well known for his duo with Robert Di Nero and later with Leonardo Dicaprio.

Scorsese is known for his risky experiences in directing many genre films. But the trademark of the director is still the gangster and crime movies.

He tends to explore recurrent themes in most of his movies. Most importantly: The Italian-American identity and Catholic concepts of guilt and redemption.

To name some of his important films: Gangs of New York, Raging Bull, The Wolf of Wall Street…

For this list, we think film students must watch Taxi Driver:

Taxi Driver is an American cult film.

The film won several awards, including the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and four Oscar nominations.

Watch this movie to experience mastery in acting, and character building.

Pay attention to how the director explored and presented themes of loneliness and remorse.

Also, if you paid attention to details and symbolism, you can find many hints and symbols to Christianity. Then you will be able to “read” the movie on a deeper layer.

The post Why All Film Students Must Watch These Movies? appeared first on AV FilmSchool.

The movie starts with the soldiers sleeping, they receive their task, walk through the very long trenches, then to the enemy’s trenches, get chased and bombed… (we will not spoil the entire movie). All that was done in one continuous take!

Actually, it seems like just one long continuous take. When you take a look at the behind the scenes shots of 1917, you will see that the camera crew had to chase after the characters by Jeep, motorcycle, crane, drone, and even by foot. 

This has been done before. One of the earliest examples of a one-shot film was Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope. A more recent example is Birdman. 

However, 1917 pushes it a step further. In this movie, the task was harder because of the war setting which means persistent action. Add to that, the action took place over large landscapes. 1917 never uses the same location twice. 

Obviously, the movie was not shot in 1 continuous take. We will reveal all the techniques and filming tricks used in 1917 to establish the feel of a continuous shot.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins was up for this hard task. Deakins is undoubtedly one of the greatest cinematographers alive. He worked on movies like Skyfall and Sicario, The Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men. He also earned the best cinematography Oscar for Blade Runner 2049 and now for 1917. The list goes on…

Director Sam Mendes decided to shoot the film in a continuous long take to create an immersive experience and to put the audience in the shoes of a British soldier fighting in World War I.

So how did director Sam Mendes, cinematographer Roger Deakins, and editor Lee Smith achieve this extremely difficult cinematic trick?

Planning the long take

To get the 1917 long shot right, the filmmakers needed to plan everything before starting to shoot. And I mean plan to the tiniest detail.

The crew needed to build models for every shot. This would help them visualize the shooting process better.

For example, this is the farmhouse that the two soldiers visit.

The art department built realistic sets from scratch. Each set needed to be able to accommodate for the path of the camera.

This was a main aspect the filmmakers needed to account for before shooting. These narrow trenches needed to be wide enough to fit the camera and crew who will be following the actors as they walk along.
For example, the barbed wire the two soldiers walked through in no man’s land had an angled pathway so the camera could get through. Ramps allowed the camera to pass from no man’s land into the lower German trenches.

For example, the barbed wire the two soldiers walked through in no-man’s land had angled pathway so the camera could get through. Ramps allowed the camera to pass from no-man’s land into the lower German trenches.

Perhaps most impressive of all was the 5200 feet of trenches the crew had to build. As some of the most action-packed and challenging shots happen in these narrow pathways, it was crucial to measure everything.

Timing

Every scene had to be the exact length of the land. So if a scene shot lasted 5 minutes, the action has to take exactly that long to get through that specific area.

So, the production designed should build sets that allow the camera to move and still look narrow. These sets should extend to a large landscape that will fit the exact timing of the actor’s action!

Rehearsals and Blocking

In an interview with Vox Mendes said they wouldn’t fill the set until they knew exactly how long it should be.

This required a lot of rehearsing.

While all films require rehearsals the process for achieving the 1917 long take was much longer and more rigorous.

Usually, the rehearsals on most film sets can take place on the day of shooting. But for 1917 walkthroughs were happening well in advance. They first started rehearsing is a studio and then moved to the real sets.

Every single line of dialogue had to be rehearsed on location. The whole process of blocking and rehearsing scenes went on for 4 months!

Once they figured out the landscapes and timing, measured everything out, and made sure every actor knew their lines and hit their marks… it was time to start shooting.

Filming

There was another crucial step in pulling off the illusion of one continuous long take in 1917:

The camera could never move backward only forward.

The characters had a starting point and a fixed destination and could never go back.

One solution for that was letting the camera move 360 degrees.

This allowed the crew to constantly move forward and follow the characters without making a visible hard cut. Productions of this size call for heavy equipment, but how were the crew supposed to deal with cameras that needed to be mobile?

The solution was a new model of high-definition camera that was much lighter and smaller than usual.

This gave the cinematographer the same great image quality but also allowed for more portability and for the camera to more quickly be attached to something like a crane or a drone.

Scofield’s (the main character) journey downriver was captured mostly by a crane.

Lighting

The constant movement created another big challenge: lighting

This was a challenge because it will be extremely hard and restricting to hide the large lights and their grips in 360-degree shots. It would be very hard to light such large areas.

The most logical solution for that would be natural lighting.

Therefore, cloudy days were the best days to be filming. Sunny days meant more shadows and more equipment.

Imagine that they would be looking at weather apps to see when it’s going to be cloudy and if the cloud would last long enough to do a 5-minute take.

However, they did use some artificial lighting.

For example, this 50-foot tall light tower that was dimmed to create the color of fire that meant to light up the entire wound village.

And, because the movie took place in real time the lighting had to look consistent and to match the natural light of the time of day that the action is taking place.

Editing

In post-production Deakins and Mendes found subtle ways to make those cuts without the audience knowing.

Sometimes an object would block the frame.

Hidden cuts were also seamlessly achieved when characters travel through doorways or entered a dark bunker.

Other shots required even cleverer transitions.

In one sequence, Scofield runs through a burning City and jumps off a ledge into a river. If you look at the same shot behind the scenes you’ll see George running through that same city and jumping off the ledge. But instead of a river, he jumps onto a mat!

With the help of some visual effects, the editors were able to seamlessly stitch together the character jumping off the ledge and into the water.

Crazy Creative filming

Nothing quite matched the challenge of pulling off the climactic sequence in which Scofield runs alongside a trench in the middle of battle.

Getting the shot was a huge endeavor.

They started on a 50-foot crane. It climbs up the trench with the actor… then the camera is taken off that crane and hooked onto another crane. That crane was on the back of a tracking vehicle that was already slowly moving back. So as they hook it on, it’s all one move that moves back.

Still in the same take, the action continues… Jorge speeds up and starts running. Meanwhile, the two crew members that hooked the camera come across the back of the shot, but we don’t recognize them because they were in costume. Once the camera was on the truck it had to follow George as he ran for about a quarter of a mile meanwhile.

Fun Fact

While everything they did while shooting had to be so precise, there was still room for accidents…

As George is running out of the trench you’ll see him bump into some extras. That wasn’t planned!

The actor bumped into them by accident and they just kept the camera rolling. Had Mendes called cut right away, this great genuine moment capturing the chaos of the war would never have made it into the movie

Refrences

This information was taken from: inews.co.uk, vox.com, insider.com

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TV shows are being more and more cinematic… This would make us think if TV is taking the place of cinema. If so, will cinema eventually die and become history?

The Second Golden Age of TV

In an era that is described as the television’s second golden age, TV stations ( HBO, FX…) and online streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu…) are competing to produce TV series with interesting plots, sophisticated filming techniques, and high production values. In addition to the economic success of these products, some TV series combined rich plots with stylized storytelling, which gave them critical acknowledgment and big viewership. Consider for example quality TV shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and Game of Thrones. All this led to shows that I would like to describe as cinematic TV series, or quality TV that has a cinematic look. As established film directors, producers and actors are venturing into TV series, we say that the line between cinema and TV is blurring.

Technology made it possible for the audience to choose among several platforms to watch films. We can now choose to watch a movie in the traditional way by going to a movie theater, buying a ticket and watching the film on the giant screen in the dark. Or we can chose to watch the film on a TV set at home with available options of considerably big 4K high definition screen and 5.1 surround system. Of course, the movie going rewards a different experience, but it would be rather easier, cheaper, time efficient, more flexible, and more accessible to watch a film on a DVD, VOD (Video on demand), online streaming, or even a broadcasted film. The film industry is going to the extent of producing films exclusively for the online streaming platforms. Certain quality films produced by Netflix are not screened in movie theaters.

In such cases, what would be the difference between watching a film or an episode of a quality series on Netflix?  And why wouldn’t both productions be considered cinematic? Such questions may bring up the thought that TV, and online TV, is taking over the traditional cinema, and may also introduce the idea of the decline of cinema and the rebirth of TV.

The Death of Cinema?!

The death of cinema is not a new concept. Cinema has faced many technological advancements throughout its history. First, the introduction of sound, and then the wide screen formats. These advancements changed the way films were produced and distributed. But the notion of the (hypothetical) death of cinema that concerns this article is the impact of television on cinema. To be clear, I don’t blame contemporary TV series for this assumed death of cinema. But the effect of television as a medium on cinema has long been discussed by many critics and scholars. Some went to the extent of saying that the invention of TV was starting point for the death of cinema.

The death of cinema does not mean the vanishing of cinema as a medium where films cease to exist and cinema theaters close their doors. It would rather refer to a shift in the dominant narrative medium. Meaning that cinema loses its hegemony in being the main source of audio/visual storytelling to TV. But, as the quality of television had developed, one might be able to think of this phenomenon as if television is being affected by cinema. But this idea may be controversial. Film critics tend to be defensive about cinema and refuse to transcend its artistic legacy to TV. Critics consider that the big screen is essential for the existence of cinema. Only the films that are watched in a movie theater projection, in the dark, without the ability to interrupt or modify the experience can be regarded as cinema.

The improvement of TV’s content should not mean that one medium would replace the other. Traditional TV programming contained mainly soap operas and sitcoms, which characterised the medium. But during the 1980s and 1990s, the style and content of these programs went through a considerable change. TV series started to stand in opposition of the mass-audience popular forms. This lead to rise of cultural niche programs (think of Twin Peaks, The Sopranos, and The Wire).

But is TV actually taking the place of cinema?

There are two approaches for this question:

1. Audiences prefer TV over going to cinema

If the question is suggesting that people are just watching TV rather than cinema, then the answer is NO!

TV is not taking the place of cinema in this sense. And the numbers back this argument. According to The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the number of movie admissions and film revenue seem to be fairly stable in the last couple of years. Statistics show that the admission number to cinema has been almost stable since the 1970s. So there is no sensible negative effect of the rise of cinematic Quality TV series on the popularity of cinema. This rise in quality in TV shows has started since the 90s (about 30 years ago). It would be far fetched to consider this (relatively new) genre of TV to be competing with the 100 year of cinema. Cinema seems to be standing strong as the main source for narrative and fiction entertainment.

2. TV is replacing cinema in the artistic sense

Another way to answer the question is by looking at the question in the artistic sense. So, the question would be: Is TV replacing cinema as the home for artistic audio/visual storytelling?

Here I would give my vote for TV. The shows of this second golden age of TV are having great cinematic quality and artistic value. In comparison you can easily notice that the movies that are gaining the most recognition are commercial movies. Mainly action, fantasy and super-hero genres. The more “serious” content is on TV. There you can find many popular shows with deep psychological characters, controversial plots, symbolic meanings, and creative story-telling… Think of shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Man in the High Castle, The Young Pope, Mr. Robot, The Affair, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones... and many others. Please write the name of the shows that you think we must add to this list in the comment section.
I will not dive deeper in the artistic value of TV, but you can read about Art in film here.

On an ending note, I think that we should not consider TV and cinema as enemies in a war where one should take the place of the other. Each has its own experience. Cinema has (and still is) providing us with great movies that satisfies all tastes. TV is picking up in the artistic sense, and the quality of its content is increasing. After TV was based mainly on soap operas, sitcoms, and talk/game/reality shows. The more competition, the more good content for us!!

What do you think about this cinema V/S TV argument? I would like to read your thoughts.

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Quality TV Series

Quality TV series is a type or genre of TV shows that have higher production and artistic standards. The term started to be used in the 1990s with the rise of shows like Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990), OZ (HBO, 1997), and The Sopranos (HBO, 1999). Mainly when we talk about quality we are looking at the theme, style, production value, and target audience. Quality TV series have serious themes that reflect the concerns of the contemporary society. The story is usually presented in a unique visual style with high production value and visual aesthetics. Such TV series are targeted to a more educated audience that are familiar with cinematic story-telling and have some interpretation and analytical skills.

Themes in Quality TV Series

First we should discuss the main theme in the series to consider its quality. Here we are looking at the story and the message of the series, in other words the script. Quality TV series often deal with serious and sophisticated social and psychological issues. For example, addiction to power in Breaking Bad, women rights and oppression due to religion in The Handmaid’s Tale, The effect of technology on our life in Black Mirror… What I described as a “serious theme” is not exclusive to drama genre. Dark comedies can also be considered quality TV. For example, Shameless deals with many serious social issues using light and dark comedy. Finally, the main theme of a quality TV show usually comments on the society and revolve around big subjects that concern the modern audience.

Style in Quality TV Shows

Style is the most important element when it comes to quality TV series. In order have a better quality, a TV series should be different from other TV shows in the way that it represents the story. When I talk about style I am talking about how the story in the series is represented visually.

Quality TV have a unique style in its visual representation. Unique visual style can be achieved through colours, digital effects, and framing.

Second, The quality in style comes from using new and innovative framing that we are not used to see in other TV shows. In some cases, these shots tell the audience information about the characters and the story. For example look at this frame from The Handmaid’s Tale:

In this frame the character is at the edge of the frame. The character is visually marginalised in the frame, the same way that she is being marginalised in the series. This specific use of framing makes the quality of the show even higher. Those who like to interpret and analyse movies would like to watch shows that allow deeper analysis of the cinematography.

Production Value in Quality TV Series

High production value is the most obvious element when it comes to labelling the quality of a TV show. To consider the production value high, the show must be:
– Shot in nice locations that seem real
– There are celebrity actors
– Good CGI and video effects
– Authentic costumes, and makeup
– Good music and sound tracks
…
In general, when the series presents all its scenes beautifully and does not shy away from demanding scenes and expensive shots such as war scenes, explosions, action sequences, traveling to new countries…

Here are some examples of high production value in TV shows:

Target Audience of Quality TV Series

The target audience are the people that the producers of the show want to be watching their show. Sitcoms for example, usually target families and younger audience. Quality TV series are usually targeted to adults who are educated and have at least a minimum knowledge about cinematic production and story-telling techniques. That is because those people would appreciate the good cinematography, and won’t accept easy/cheap solutions to go around demanding scenes. (Here high production value becomes a necessity). The group of people that watch quality shows need to have good interpretational and analytical skills because the themes of these shows are complicated and the story is often told without spoon feeding the details.

Conclusion

In this golden age of TV, almost all the TV series can have a good quality. This does not mean that all these shows are good. Quality has specific elements or a checklist that we can consider to evaluate the show. But a good show is relative to every person. For example, season 8 of Game of Thrones has undoubtably a great quality according to the elements that I mentioned in this post, but still many viewers did not consider it as a good season.

Even within quality TV shows, some might have a greater value than the others. It is not just the production value that determines the quality. Shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Breaking Bad, The Leftovers, Peaky Blinders, The Young Pope, Maniac… are all TV series that have a great artistic value in addition to their production value. I like to think of such shows that perfect their quality as cinematic TV series. They are closer to being an artistic film than a conventional TV series.

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