How do I achieve a professional-quality filimg style/look?

[Brian Farvour]

Hey everyone! So, I'm going to be renting a Red Epic camera for a weekend, and am interested in seeing if I can achieve some specific styles of filming. Specifically, I'm looking to get a Spielberg-esque feel in a short film I want to make, which J. J. Abrams nailed in 2011's Super 8. I'm also a big fan of The Rocketeer, which also has a classic Spielberg feel to it, and was curious what it would take to achieve that style. Finally, in terms of more modern styles, I love the clean looks of movies like Captain America and even The Amazing Spider-Man, which I know what shot on a Red Epic. And before I forget, even though I know both Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder use film, is there any way to pull off what they did on The Dark Knight trilogy or Man of Steel? Man of Steel especially had some cool Terrence Malick Tree of Life-esque shots I liked as well.
I'm really just looking for what I can do to film it like them, and then what I'd need to utilize in post-production to further solidify these styles. Thanks!

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Don't cross-post in the future. I'm leaving this thread open and closing the rest.

 

[Wil Wong]

Hmm. I think a lot of it comes from the post side such as the pace, the colours, length of each shot, music vs silence..etc.

What you can watch for in a Spielberg film (or other modern films) is:
1. Camera Movement - is the camera moving or still, how often does it move in scene. Tranitions only? Throughout the scene?
2. Close-ups - what's the size of the face (many folks tend to shoot too close when starting out), how often and is there a pattern from close to wide.
3. How clean is the setting - are there lots of props/decor or is it very simple with one or two objects around
4. Depth of Field - watch for the moment in a scene when it changes (most likely when you get to the close-up)...when does the background go blurry beyond recognition?

Overall, watching Spielberg films and asking these questions should help. He has a distinctiveness that on set is shot a certain way but more shows in the post production of editing, and music. Remember that we have all the tools/tricks like dollys, sliders, jibs/cranes, focus pulling, lense filters, handheld, shouldermount, tripods, and effects at our disposal but the point is knowing when NOT to use them.

This is merely my opinion but all the best!

 

[Jason Comparetto]

Like David said in the other thread, study a simple scene from a movie that you enjoy. Look at all the elements that make it what it is. then try to re-create your own version, using what you can, take risks on your own schedule. in the editing room decide what worked and what didn't. learn from your mistakes. take time to process it. and then repeat the entire procedure, by watching the simple scene again from your favorite movie. i bet you can repeat this 4-5 times and still learn valuable things from the same damn scene that you originally started with.

 

[Noel R.]

I found the breakdown in this video very insightful of Spielburg's shots.

https://vimeo.com/groups/35mmandrisdamburs/videos/47105733

 

[Anson Fogel]

Study. Shoot. Criticize. Edit. Write. Read. Study. Light. Repeat. For decades.

 

[Brett Harrison]

on the more practical side: read all the American Cinematographer articles for all those movies you like.

 

[Nick Morrison]

on the more practical side: read all the American Cinematographer articles for all those movies you like.

Best advice ever. In fact, read it every month (whether you like the movies or not; you always learn).

 

[Eric M Hurt]

Study. Shoot. Criticize. Edit. Write. Read. Study. Light. Repeat. For decades.

+1

This is the best advice, and IMHO the only advice that matters.