What really makes the cinematic look?
Question by Destined: What really makes the cinematic look?
What techniques really make the cinematic look in movies? and what are the best ways possible to make digital look like cinematic. David Fincher did it with a Red One camera to shoot “The Social Network” and that definitely came out cinematic. So how can I?
Best answer:
Answer by Mandy
There are several ways to give a video a ‘film’ or ‘cinematic’ look. Some might record video at 24fps, while others make certain cameras settings and use creative lighting. Four common methods are:
Don’t White Balance as per the usual way:
White balanced the camera using the back of your hand. The color of flesh causes the camera to drain away those warm hues when the white balance switch was operated – hence “cold” looking pictures.
Decrease the video camera’s electronic “enhancement”:
Camera manufacturers design an electronic circuit which reacts to changes in brightness levels in the frame and adds an overshoot in the form of a black or white line to the picture. This is designed to make the picture look sharper. But if this circuit is adjusted too high, the resultant picture just looks “electronic” and unattractive – just the sort of ‘electronic’ look hated so much by the film fraternity. You will find the adjustment of this circuit named variously as: “Contour” correction, “Aperture” adjustment or “Detail” Level. They are all the same thing in essence.
Optically diffuse the image:
Many movies are optically diffused to give pictures a “softer” look and to decrease contrast – especially when shooting against the light. Diffusers – flat filters 3 or 4 inches square made of glass or plastic – can be purchased/hired in a range from “subtle” to “over-romantic”. Depending on “the look” you want for your video, decide which filter is right and shoot the whole film through it.
Light like the Movies:
Most video cameras are (still) unable to handle the highest contrasts between highlights and low lights of a picture. For instance, if your talent is sitting with his or her back to a bright window you, must take some action to reduce the brightness differences between the outdoor scene framed through the window and the all-important face. The easiest way is by a white reflector – and you can get small collapsible ones from your local photography store. Professional film crews sometimes use sheets of white polystyrene but these can be noisy to hold and are dangerous in high winds! The benefit of using a white reflector is that the light coming from it will be the same colour as the rest of the light illuminating the scene. The idea is to just ‘fill’ the face with a little more soft light to make it more attractive.
Add your own answer in the comments!
