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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Narcos Season 3: Looks great....but

David Battistella

David Battistella

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There is no substitute for fine actors and good direction.

After loosing two fabulous actors I have to say that the B team that is left over is just not cutting it compared to season one and season two.

While this season may look better (I am three episodes into a cocaine crime series that has me kinda snoring) it really has taught me and proven once again that story and performance is what keeps people interested.

I think they used ultra primes, or master primes on Dragon in 6K , but who gives a yack, its actually quite boring so far, and it goes to show you how much a great lead actor carries a series.

David
 
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David, you confirmed my fears heading into this season. I felt it was going to be hard to live up to those first two seasons and that's because I completely bought into Wagner Moura as Pablo. I'll give it a chance though. Mario is giving me some hope.
 
I'll watch the rest of it.

So far very flat, but the series got off to a slow start as well. Maybe too much dialog not enough action. Or maybe the Cali Cartel was just as boring as they are portraying it.

Nothing is happening. No actor has stepped forward to be the lead.

David
 
I loved the texture of the first season and also the charismatic lead actor. Saw a couple of episodes of season 3 now and it does not have the 80s Colombian texture and the acting and story made me fall a sleep more then once I really struggled as I wanted to see it all but there was simply not much of a nerve in the story to keep me awake. And yes Picture do look great. But the first season looked to me like some film developed in some colombian film lab in the 80´s and then keeped in the fridge.
 
David Battistella said:
...proven once again that story and performance is what keeps people interested.

David
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For the love of god, can we please have this quote on the front page of reduser!!!!!

What we do as cinematographers is, and should always be, in service to the story and performances. The second you deviate from that, you are no longer making a film, you are making an art installation.
 
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Here are some tech specs for season 3 that a little birdie told me. :)

Epic Dragon, 5kHD, 5:1 (7:1 season1&2), swapped between Low light OLPF and Skin Tone HighLight OLPF, 23.98 fps.
Optics: Cooke S4 (Season 3 ), Ultraprimes (Season1&2).

David
 
Episode 8 is awesome. Give it a chance. Pablo is dead but Narcos lives on.
 
i killed it in 2 days my favorite season!!!! it was amazing
 
David Battistella said:
I think they used ultra primes, or master primes on Dragon in 6K , but who gives a yack, its actually quite boring so far, and it goes to show you how much a great lead actor carries a series.
Click to expand...
You're saying it's too clean?

Well, that's a creative choice. On a drug crime kind of story, I would generally suggest to the director that we grunge it up, add some film grain, give it some texture, desaturate a little bit and lean it towards a bleach-bypass thing. That's almost been a cliche for the last 20 years, but I think that would beat clinically pin-sharp pictures and perfect color balance, which would not be what you'd expect for a show like this. I think an off-beat look -- like what they did recently on Ozark -- can work as well. Normal, it ain't, but it throws you off-balance enough for the series to work.
 
I thought it was the best season so far only because the Cali cartel is much more interesting to me than Pablo Escobar. Narcos is a very well written and well produced show... those guys at Netflix are doing all the right things.
 
First few episodes were a bit slow, but then it got really good. Maybe not as good as Season 2, but that's because Pablo has such a built in story. Still... great series and cool that it was shot on Red.
 
Ok.

I'm six episodes in and the action is picking up. Its a bit more interesting after a slow start. I might chalk this up to a writing style which favors powereatching over weekly viewership. Since I don't power watch and I dove out episodes the storylines and hooks do not feel as strong.

Also I am coming off watching Peaky Blinders which feels far more enjoyable in so many ways.

Favid
 
I watched the first three episodes of the third season on the first night and then on the second night I went to sleep at 5:30 in the morning, because I was so hooked, I couldn't stop watching until I finished it all. Clearly, a lot of it was specifically written to heighten the drama (they do disclose this at the beginning of each episode), which is totally expected, nevertheless, this combination of real events with occasionally taking a poetic license is just irresistible. One of the most compelling dramas anywhere...
The only regret I have, now I have to wait till next season for the action to begin in Mexico. I can't wait this long!
 
Im bored so I binged the first 48 hours it came out. I thouroughly enjoyed the show. everything from more insight to how the government operates, to the camera work and musical selection. to how the cali cartel operated much differently than pablo escobar. I truly liked this season. just wish there were more than 10 episodes in these seasons.

While we're on the subject of shows and netflix. any other series with great story lines and cinematography/acting that you all recommend? I've seen power, ozarks already
 
Do you guys get Peaky Blinders in the US. Great series.
 
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