ANYONE ELSE TIRED...

[David Battistella]

Of the endless stream off ads, etc that have that instagram, polaroid, 70's look? I can't turn my head without seeing that washed out look these days and it's getting well, boring.

Like Magic Bullet looks before this, it seems the color trends just funnel their way into everything and over saturate the environment. I was watching a trailer for a film last week and it seems like the LOG look is now in for Feature Films (i'll try to source the trailer).
I'm thinking that people are getting used to that look on set and kinda "going with it" for the film.

Me. I'm into deep focus and clean sharp corner to corner images these days. Not in a sterile way, or a hyper real way, still want an organic look.

If I see another silvery, pukey HDR photo I think I might barf!

Discuss.

Post some examples of looks you like.

Battistella

 

[Ivan McCullough]

Yup I hear you.

The 'log' look as been in for a while now I feel, at least a year in my market.

About 2 years ago I was grading a feature I had shot and on the job and in post our reference was hipstamatic (instagram was not that popular yet), admittedly we started with Tarkovsky's polaroids as our reference and then moved on to hipstamatic as it had a more 70's feel, (ours was a period 70's piece).

I remember being sick of that crushed 5298 look in 90's too and I suppose the orange teal craze of late.

It all gets tiresome when saturation (pun not intended) point is reached its just some looks get there sooner than others.

 

[Timothy Eaton]

David, couldn't agree more on the "log" look. Okay, once or twice or three times in a few spots is cool, different, interesting. Then everyone had to do it - to no purpose. It didn't look organic, or rich, or beautiful. It just became a stupid gag. Awful.

In my mind, one of the best manipulators of "look" is Ridley Scott. From Blade Runner to Man on Fire, the visual style he establishes serves the purpose of drawing the viewer into the work, rather than making them aware of the style itself. That's the goal, right?

Tim Eaton

 

[Ivan McCullough]

In my mind, one of the best manipulators of "look" is Ridley Scott. From Blade Runner to Man on Fire, the visual style he establishes serves the purpose of drawing the viewer into the work, rather than making them aware of the style itself. That's the goal, right?

Tim Eaton

Ridleys stuff is consistently arresting....and usually lit at 90 degrees to camera placement!

 

[David Battistella]

Wes Anderson films come to mind as unique in their style, color, lighting and production design. Each take on his style but all lit and coloured a bit differently. Quite a unique voice in a sea of similar stuff.

Ridley's stuff is often trend setting.

Battistella

Funny how we talk about the 70's look. when just sort of part of it looked that way.

 

[David Battistella]

I guess this thread never really took off.

Battistella

 

[JeanChristophe Dupasquier]

I really like it if it suits the mood! Personal taste I guess

 

[David Battistella]

Does work in that minimal context, still deep rich blacks.

Battistella

 

[Dory Breaux]

Something that seems to go hand in hand with this lately is relying on shutter speed to control exposure. Maybe its just because I watch a lot of mountain bike videos, but everyone whos mom bought them a nice camera seems to have no idea that "shutter stutter" is unattractive 90% of the time (with an obvious exception being Saving Private Ryan ).

If I have to see another stuttery Loggy video I might puke.

 

[Dr. Sassi]

I think there is a difference, if the look supports the story or not.

If it supports the story, my idea of that "washed out look" is, that you have to light for it. Perhaps even filter for it...

If the blacks are just "lifted" they look dead and ugly, it needs to be lit for this specific look, to give these areas texture and detail.

In other words, anything (e.g., a preset look, plug-in based stuff, etc) that is just dumbed over footage -- without a deeper understanding -- will look very cheap very soon, when the audience has enough of it, and when they are more educated.

 

[Erich Ocean]

Just saw "her" the other day, I thought it looked incredible! Good film too.

 

[Jeffery Anderson]

I do sometime see the same 'Log Look' and wonder if someone forgot to color correct...

More to an artistic point, letting something lose information/definition, may it be black or light...Kubrick ominous lights in the background in Clockwork...probably with the 'Log Look' they(whomever 'they' are) is looking for more of a soft look, but the images were exposed or lit incorrectly.

Maybe 'these people' need digital filters?