Next best option for learning if there is no BTS material

[Marcus Friedlander]

If there is no behind the scenes material for a particular scene or movie you want to study, what's the next, best source of information for learning about how filmmakers attacked certain challenges in that particular scene or movie?

Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[Marc Wielage]

American Cinematographer magazine occasionally has write-ups on certain films, detailing lighting set-ups, talking to the DPs about their specific philosophy, what challenges were encountered on location, and so on.

 

[Cristian Mihai]

How about IMAGINATION ? If you know the tools in the business and what can be achieved with them you should be very close. And dont think on the cheap side : "how this can be done with small budget ?". Some things are never meant to be cheap. Just good.

I will give you a personal example : 10 years ago i saw a photo ( i think Testino was the photographer ) in the Vogue or something similar magasine. The lighting technique was something never saw before. I just closed my photo studio for 3 days called an agency to provide girls and makeup and for continuous 3 days isolated in the studio i managed to understand what the photo was about. It was just one exposure, 2 step strobe lighting technique, focus movement, color filter and TOTAL DARKNESS ( BULB EXPOSURE ). One photo with no photoshop. Just a nice image straight from camera no EDIT whatsoever. It's the second frame in the upper left corner www.cristianmihai.ro That was a moment when i realised i can understand every other photo about lighting, lens etc.

Get to know lighting technique! You dont need BTS. Make your brain to pick it up with no BTS. Dont get caught in the BTS trap.