MattHawkins Online - Film Making Forum

I always wonder if everybody is aware of the style that they have behind the cammera or if they are just thinking, well this seems to be the right way to shoot this, or well this is how I was told I had to.

So in a few quicke sentaces give us your directing style.

I like low light when inside, candles and fire are some of my favorates. Long shots of nature outside, with slow pans. I have a weakness for handheld shots which I have learned to control for now (beware of the day I get a camera stablizer!). i have a tendacy towards violent subject mater, and don't shy away from showing it, well to the extent that my production values will alow. I alow improv and sometimes it shows as well. I have never shot anything that has a bunch of cuts or more angles then you can shake a stick at. I tend to have a slow style as well hanging on some shots more times then I should, and overpower everthing with music.

Ok so some of that is editting, but still it gives a good idea, so your turns.

Hmm...i go for the long shots, where the camera is farther away, normally. I rarely go for the closeup, leaving that for a few scenes to make an impact. I generally like to get my scenes on a tripod. I recently made a stabilizer, so now running shots can be a lot more smooth. My school just recieved a lot of new stuff, so I am really learning to take advantage of depth of field now.

I use fewer cuts than most do, mainly because I don't have many cameras to use, and little time to take several versions of a scene.

I always improve, and I cannot believe how much I have over the past year. One year ago I got Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects. I used a Hi-8 sony.

Now, I consider myself quite good with my programs, and I have access to the best mini-dv and HDV cameras. Not too bad for a year's work!

All I'm really aware of is that I use far more cuts than most people on here!

Doesn't make me better or worse I guess, it's just the only thing I've noticed about my style.

I grew up on 80's movies...lots of obviously lit shots. Keep the camera close to the actors to fill the frame since most of my distribution is online...and there's no pixels to spare showing the environment. I shoot wider for theatrical release stuff. Too much talking heads. I'm working on breaking away from that. My editing is very linear, I'm working on breaking that habit too.

Shooting wise, I like heavy contrast and cooloer colors and shoot it many times for optimum editing choices. Editing, I like to blend shots that establish environment with closeups in the way that best acquaints the audience with the character. With actors, I like to get them to be spontaneous and have them rehearse several times so they throw out any inhibitions or awkwardnesses they feel. With stories, I try to mix the supernatural with the personal, always linked together with quirky and sometime splatstick humor, and often they subtly utilize themes that support my religion and politics.

I do a lot of my "styling" in post - I like contrasty colour timing and quick cuts. I try not to have all my shots locked down on a tripod, and like to have a good mix of dollies and handheld. I suppose I don't go for any specific style, but I do try and think of interesting ways of shooting stuff.

I go for shakey cam when in atense secene eg. a battle

and go for tripod/ close ups for dialogue sequences, i'm tending towards long takes rather than cut after cut, its all depends on the movie, for an eerie feel i'll go for long takes!

I have a mix of styles which I've gotten from TV, films and ... erm, Sean Bagley?

I like a huge variety of different shot lengths - I use a lot of quick cuts (more than you, Dave!) but I do love a good long take as long as it's not done for the sake of it - I need to make it feel sort of necessary. Sometimes I'll do a kind of stabilised-handheld shot (see 24 and Alias/Lost) with quick zooms, so I'll go from a wide shot to a close-up. But I always use a tripod on every production I do. The most important thing for me however is levels - it's boring to watch a movie from the same height for the whole time! I like to get dead high or very low down! Variety!

Uh, thanks FF. Haha.

I think I always tried to get up close and personal with the characters. I tried to get into their emotions and portray exactly what they were thinking, feeling, and wanting. It always seemed to end up through visuals though.

i always go for my intense depth of field shots... dollying around the people... i do hate my wide wide shots... i like it small, but not clausterphobic..


color-wise really depends on the mood and what colors i already got out of the location

i don't think i want this style there and this one there. I just kinda think: this is what there is to film. This is what the rest of the film is ike, how do i fit that shot into the film, make it look good etc. Sometimes I'll be playing with the angles, and say, hey, that's great, scrap everything else, film it from here.

P.S. Sorry, I'm tired, I couldn't read all posts in thread...Therefore this is probably exact duplicate of another post. Lol. Goodnight.

I think your threads interesting there foxwood, but i think the topic is a little wayward (a lot of the style answers seems to be more about shot composition, lighting and well cinematography.)

If you talk about the style of a director, its really a question or not of firstly whether there trying to be autuer (a complete principle artist hehe with a very individualist slant on their film) or a hired gun director (directing by numbers - think
Beethoven II lol)

I think theres no universal style of cinematography for every kind of film a director does, and i think the way some answers come through, (i like this kind of shot and so i use this in most my films) is only because most indy directors here are doing their own cinematography. But I think its a seperate question - the style of one's cinematography to the style a director has as an artist.

So in that sense im more interested in the style of people's work - the style of the films they like to produce. These can be more akin to belonging to certain types of art.

I will give you an example, my films tend to be quite theatrical, heavily stylised, and overtly romantic (you can compare most types of cinematography to art movements too) with many of mine being of the romantic mould, or neo-classical in style but - for all that most of my films have merely been replicative of tv style direction (itself based on multicam models - now vanishing thank god)

I mean take other folk here, Kentertainments films have an inherent style of offbeat comedy, often shot in an intimate and somtimes ironic cinematic form (ie. underplaying or overplaying principle characters with chosen cinematography.) Much of K comes through his films too! In that sense there quite idiosyncratic!

Gyro's films, often have a very documentary style of cinematography, the camera work is alive and quite sexy! Yet narrative structures are incredibly old fashion, and while sentimental are very uncomfortably romantic.

Um... spitballing

Ornsacks films are like 2 penny music shows - where the monkey would play a tiny accordian - they are shot in a television like manner, (appropriate for their alternative slanted mainstream comedy mixed horror) - did i say mainstream... There is an indeligible style to Ornsacks work that make his uniquely identifiable as his (within the alternative genre). In fact, it is perhaps cinematography (while competent and increasingly more competent and better) is perhaps very very 'safe'. Hmmm

Maj Barnes, as a filmmaker is stuck in a military rut, nailed to war movies both present and contemporary, (a one trick pony) - this will change - but yet, in terms of editing - and visual style your work is commendable i think and your last short looked very pretty!!!

Anyway ive typed this in a stream and must rush! But this point of style i find more fascinating!

Lawriejaffa wrote:I think your threads interesting there foxwood, but i think the topic is a little wayward (a lot of the style answers seems to be more about shot composition, lighting and well cinematography.)

If you talk about the style of a director, its really a question or not of firstly whether there trying to be autuer (a complete principle artist hehe with a very individualist slant on their film) or a hired gun director (directing by numbers - think
Beethoven II lol)

I think theres no universal style of cinematography for every kind of film a director does, and i think the way some answers come through, (i like this kind of shot and so i use this in most my films) is only because most indy directors here are doing their own cinematography. But I think its a seperate question - the style of one's cinematography to the style a director has as an artist.

So in that sense im more interested in the style of people's work - the style of the films they like to produce. These can be more akin to belonging to certain types of art.

I will give you an example, my films tend to be quite theatrical, heavily stylised, and overtly romantic (you can compare most types of cinematography to art movements too) with many of mine being of the romantic mould, or neo-classical in style but - for all that most of my films have merely been replicative of tv style direction (itself based on multicam models - now vanishing thank god)

I mean take other folk here, Kentertainments films have an inherent style of offbeat comedy, often shot in an intimate and somtimes ironic cinematic form (ie. underplaying or overplaying principle characters with chosen cinematography.) Much of K comes through his films too! In that sense there quite idiosyncratic!

Gyro's films, often have a very documentary style of cinematography, the camera work is alive and quite sexy! Yet narrative structures are incredibly old fashion, and while sentimental are very uncomfortably romantic.

Um... spitballing

Ornsacks films are like 2 penny music shows - where the monkey would play a tiny accordian - they are shot in a television like manner, (appropriate for their alternative slanted mainstream comedy mixed horror) - did i say mainstream... There is an indeligible style to Ornsacks work that make his uniquely identifiable as his (within the alternative genre). In fact, it is perhaps cinematography (while competent and increasingly more competent and better) is perhaps very very 'safe'. Hmmm

Maj Barnes, as a filmmaker is stuck in a military rut, nailed to war movies both present and contemporary, (a one trick pony) - this will change - but yet, in terms of editing - and visual style your work is commendable i think and your last short looked very pretty!!!

Anyway ive typed this in a stream and must rush! But this point of style i find more fascinating!

alot of bigs words in there, we pirates are just simple folk

I like it man, sounds sweet

I like dolly shots.

I just love the raw and gritty look, 70's film look/ think of grindhouse <- -- sweet flick

It depends on the film, but I use simple cuts and sort of 'floating' camera type shots like a rough dolly shot or handheld, but it really depends on the film.
I will use whatever style is appropriate e.g. in Razor i used color tinting and rough/handheld camera work to illustrate the 'gang' feel and give it a first person feel, whereas others
I use much wider and stationary filming.

I use the 3rds principle alot too, along with using horizontal or slightly off to show certain things like whetther the scene is formal etc.

blah blah blah.

i just go by what seems right, which I guess in my style!

Maj Barnes, as a filmmaker is stuck in a military rut, nailed to war movies both present and contemporary, (a one trick pony) - this will change - but yet, in terms of editing - and visual style your work is commendable i think and your last short looked very pretty!!!

Well damn, I guess I have to pack up the guns for a little while.

Well damn, I guess I have to pack up the guns for a little while.

Loophole!

Maj Barnes, as a filmmaker is stuck in a military rut,

Make a cop or street gang movie, then it won't be military!

Yeah but your all good and getting better and im not saying that as if im any better, im just like you guys, its just i enjoy literal analysis - psychological analysis in fiction etc too, so i likened it to the style of the directors from that standpoint - i was pretty generic in what i was saying and a little vague, but anyway

I can't do a film with russians next!!! My next i think is going to be a victorian set erotic psychological thriller - (takes place during 1 night) in a creepy gothic harbour village

Costumes from them http://www.victoriancostume.co.uk/Gentlemans-Attire and lots of victorian police - with gas lamps at night ! thats my dream anyway er

Make a cop or street gang movie, then it won't be military!

Nah, when someone says that I always think: gunplay. Since most of my stuff centers around that- why not try to do something different? I won't be blessed with all violence oriented projects in the future, so why not get used to it.

victorian set erotic psychological thriller

Score!

I like panning shots and craning shote. Pitty I don't have a crane or a camera dolly!!!! I can't realy do panning/craning in my films because if I want to see two people in the same shot and only my m8 and I are filming, what then!

One important word which describes my style:

Cinema verité. Long takes, shoulder shots, camera following the subject as if you were actually there.

Sharp sounds, loud, realistic background ambience.

I use my own form of stabalizer when doing 'hand held' shots, which is simple, but quite effective.

Rarely will I use a tripod, yet I do have one. Unfortunately it does create a sort of 'amateurish' effect, as people may believe i don't have a tripod, however this is wrong and I just aim for a hand held effect.


Sometimes I'll use high contrast, and high saturation to almost create a surreal effect, yet keeping the realism with the cinema verite style.

I think a lot of us here are still trying to develop their style. At least I am for one. Each new short I make, I am always doing at least some-thing differently.

I still like dolly shots though.

At this point I think I have come to a conclution where there are things that I like doing, and things that I am trying. Lately I have tryed to put aside all the style things, both cinematicly and script wise that I always use and go and do diffrent things to work out truely what my style is.