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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 :)

Top Ten Cinematography Masterpieces?

Gibby said:
nobody has mentioned any non-narrative cinematography masterpieces, such as "Winged Migration" (Oscar winner), "March of the Penguins" (Oscar winner), or "Blue Planet" (Emmy winner). The cinematography in those productions, and the technical obstacles they had to overcome in extreme environments and mobile conditions, is simply amazing.
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Have you seen the latest BBC/Attenborough series, Planet Earth? Incredible.
 
That (new) Planet Earth series is incredible indeed. Bought the 5-disc DVD. Hope to get it in HD one day. That documentary can only be described as stunning!
 
Agreed, I got a limited edition Amazon box set with both blueplanet and planet earth in. I think they will always have fans such as us since they actually show how they filmed the sequences at the end of each show, I find that as interesting as the actual footage.
 
Ruairi Robinson said:
Anyone ever see Electra Glide in Blue? That last shot is pretty amazing (Conrad Hall too)
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Ruairi, you kick ass. I am such a huge fan of Electra Glide. It's like the conservative Easy Rider.

The Conversation is pretty nice, too. I like how all the stuff with the hooker/girlfriend in the basement apartment is really underlit and shadowy. It's like its Harry Caul's place to hide.
 
cailyoung said:
Have you seen the latest BBC/Attenborough series, Planet Earth? Incredible.
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Not yet...but I definitely look forward to see it! I've read a lot about their 5-year shooting forays around the world: 70 producers and camera operators, and 200 locations. Imagine the budget they had to work with! Would be nice...

The series airs in the USA, on Discovery HD and Discovery, from 3/25 to 4/22. I want to check out the footage from their helicopter-mounted Cineflex gimbal Sony HDC-950 cameras. Most of the rest of the footage was shot with Sony HDW-750 cameras, although some remote footage was shot with Z1s and other cameras. The whole series was captured in 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Imagine how it would look if it could have been captured in 4k and 2k with RED One cameras...

I think when I watch the series, I'll have two tracks running in my mind: 1) how well done and aesthetically pleasing their production is 2) improvements in the production if RED One cameras could have been used in 4k and 2k.

BBC definitely sets a high standard in nature and adventure travel production. I've always enjoyed their programs...
 
"Not yet...but I definitely look forward to see it! I've read a lot about their 5-year shooting forays around the world: 70 producers and camera operators, and 200 locations. Imagine the budget they had to work with! Would be nice..."


Hi Steve,

I've seen almost all the Planet Earth series and it looks fabulous. They have a 5 minutes 'diary' section at the end of each program which someone already mentioned on this thread; which shows the problems they had getting their shots.

The 'Planet Earth' team got special permission and were let into an immense cave system which had all these amazing crystals growing out of the walls and ceiling - unbelievable !! They have to get all their grip gear in through very confined spaces without touching the precious crystals !! Those were my favorite shots of the whole series.

Like you say - what a budget - but then you still have to deliver something spectacular and they certainly did that. I think we're spoiled a bit by the BBC because they do set a high bar on production values. But again - what if had been shot in 4K with a RED camera . . . . . .

All the best, Phil
 
Not film related but as far as television goes:

BBC - Top Gear, Don't know who.
 
I'm a little surprised that I haven't seen on anyones lists the following:

Empire of the Sun: Allen Daviau
Frida: Rodrigo Prieto
El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth): Guillermo Navarro

Not sure where I would rate them, haven't thought much about it, but they would be in my Top 10 - along with Blade Runner, Last Samari, and a few others.

Kyle
 
acehole said:
Not film related but as far as television goes:

BBC - Top Gear, Don't know who.
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Hi Ace - I'm a huge Top Gear fan and have been for years. I think the photography and post work has really become a lot more stylish and slicker - along with the cars you might say.

I'm not sure they would get plaudits for cinematography though? I do think their areodrome shots of the really powerful cars are very much in keeping with the subject matter - powerful and expressive - They certainly lead the field of car shows, in the UK at any rate, by a huge margin in style and content. I wonder if the production team have won any awards?

I'll have to check on that?

All the best, Phil
 
Didn't the Brits invent the documentary?

Must have been a post production nightmare with all the formats...looking forward to the RED solution to this challenge.
 
kylemallory said:
Empire of the Sun: Allen Daviau
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I almost put that on my list. Although, I just watched it recently on HBO HD and it didn't seem as great as I used to think it was. But then again, it's a film that definitely shows its age as it's got to be nearly 20 years old now. But even with that, it was shot very well.

El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth): Guillermo Navarro
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I still need to see this one.

One that I've seen mentioned on the forums too that hasn't come up in this thread is The Cell. ...Just a so-so movie really, ho-hum story, J-Lo, I thought the scoring could have been a lot better. But great FX work, good use of color and set design, overcranking, some nice FX work.
 
Gibby: I highly highly recommend watching it! (long sit though)
 
Whilst I love the BBC's tradition and production values on documentaries alot of their production values for other programs and series don't live up to it and ITV and Channel 4 seem to be doing little else to secure well produced TV series either (I'm not griping about stories, just production). It pains me to see so many people having so much money handed to them and making poor looking productions when the american television series standards are of such a high quality (At least cinematography wise). It's only through collaberations with American companies such as HBO that the BBC make great cinematographic pieces (And that I dare say is probably down to the involvment of HBO in the production moreso than BBC!).

The only gripe I have about American series such as Lost, Heroes and so on, is that because they cost so much to make, the producers almost have to spin them out for a number of series in order to earn the revenue back through sales of the DVD boxsets. Lost is a good example of a great idea turning stale in my opinion, and all the cinematography and pretty people can't stop it from being annoyingly slow at getting to the point sometimes! If that had been just one series it would've been herald as a great.

But yeah Gibby, if you like any of the other BBC doc's then you ought to love the latest PlanetEarth.
 
Finner said:
Hi Tom,

I see your number 5 is Legends of the fall. I worked on that film...
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finner, by the way, can you tell us something about what it was like to work with John Toll? Do you know anyone who keeps up with him?
 
acehole said:
Not film related but as far as television goes:

BBC - Top Gear, Don't know who.
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Best automotive Tv show I've ever seen.


Also, David Attenborough practically raised me.
BBC's documentaries have no match.
 
An Angel at my Table
The Man with the Movie Camera
Battleship Potempkin
Far Away, So Close
Before the Rain
The Match Factory Girl
Time of the Gypsies
Spirit of the Beehive
The English Patient
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Piano
The Horse Whisperer (in fact, almost anything photographed by Robert Richardson)
Amorres Peros

In no particular order, there are too many to post, I'll think more and post again later.
 
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