Why are so many scared of focus?

I've noticed this shallow/deep debate for the past few years & it's a little silly for me. Shallow focus & deep focus are simply tools for visually telling a story. Shallow focus grabs the audience and directs their attention to the subject needed for the story to move forward. Deep focus allows a keenly aware audience to find clues and supporting visuals in the background that support the story so it can also move forward. Both are tools and good judgement can yield good results. Novices always misuse tools....they're novices, they have a ways to go on the development learning curve.

Overall artists choose the tools they desire to get the results they're after.

Video folks are fighting for shallow focus because the small chip format delivers this look. Remember video cameras were designed for replacing 16mm news gathering cameras so we have inherited this legacy. TV News needs as much deep focus as possible, artists don't. Back in the 30s DPs were after deep focus, because of slow film speed & lenses. They would foam at the mouth in envy over what many of us despise.

So in the end....who cares, just tell a good story and we'll enjoy the popcorn.
 
Just sat through Mission Impossible III tonight. One thing I noticed is that about half the shots in the film had very shallow DOF...
 
10s said:
I've noticed this shallow/deep debate for the past few years & it's a little silly for me. Shallow focus & deep focus are simply tools for visually telling a story. Shallow focus grabs the audience and directs their attention to the subject needed for the story to move forward. Deep focus allows a keenly aware audience to find clues and supporting visuals in the background that support the story so it can also move forward. Both are tools and good judgement can yield good results. Novices always misuse tools....they're novices, they have a ways to go on the development learning curve.

Overall artists choose the tools they desire to get the results they're after.

Video folks are fighting for shallow focus because the small chip format delivers this look. Remember video cameras were designed for replacing 16mm news gathering cameras so we have inherited this legacy. TV News needs as much deep focus as possible, artists don't. Back in the 30s DPs were after deep focus, because of slow film speed & lenses. They would foam at the mouth in envy over what many of us despise.

So in the end....who cares, just tell a good story and we'll enjoy the popcorn.
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Nice post.
 
John_Hudson said:
Nice post.
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yeah, sorry to follow that with this but it took too long to make not to use it :)
35mm.gif
 
Citizen Cane...Citizen Cain
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Blaine said:
Must have been a great movie, the two times you cited it, you couldn't figure out how to spell it...Citizen Kane. Is that how they're teaching it in film school?
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No...it is you who are mistaken, Blaine!

That was obviously a reference to...
_raisingcain2.jpg

​
 
*sigh*

For the record, this thread was mean to be a somewhat serious discussion about the beauty of deep focus and how one can view this as an asset with a 1/3 chip camera. Oh well...
 
Hi David,

I fully understand the point of this thread (and your frustration) from comments teaching away from it....
However, once the deep focus is granted to all (via small sensors and the lenses they come with) the value of expression drops (somewhat), and people start seeking the "forbidden fruit".

Deep focus would be gorgeous even in SD, if it wasn't for the sharpening circuit that triggers on most video cameras and ruins the picture (the artificial edge enhancer). I (for one) have no preference when it comes to lenses and focals, I like them all equally as long as they are appropriately used to tell a story. Same goes for aperture use (I am not a fan of 1.2 unless required). If they take away from the story "crying for attention", their use is no good (imo). But then again, it takes a lot of work (as we know) to plan and cut them seamlessly together so they don’t bite each other (from W to ECU, etc) even if each one of them is a beauty shoot on its own. My 2c.:beer:
 
DavidBeier said:
*sigh*

For the record, this thread was mean to be a somewhat serious discussion about the beauty of deep focus and how one can view this as an asset with a 1/3 chip camera. Oh well...
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your preachin to the choir, buddy
there's one moron having a "discussion" with 50 other people
when it became clear he was nuts, we just resorted to tom foolery.
 
it was funny seeing someone say the same thing over and over again.... on both sides...
 
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